THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


Star  of  Love 


Star  of  Love 


By  FLORENCE    MORSE    KINGSLEY 

Author  of  "Titus,  a  Soldier  of  the  Cross" 


WITH  EIGHT  ILLUSTRATIONS  IN 
COLOR  BY  ARTHUR  E.  BECHER 


D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY 
NEW  YORK  AND   LONDON:  MCMIX 


COPYRIGHT,  1908,  1909,  BY 
D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 


Published  October,  1909 


FS 


LIST   OP   ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

"He  fell  forward  upon  the  couch  of  the  queen  and  begged 
his  life  at  her  hands"        ....        Frontispiece 

"The  girl  allowed  the  yellow  grain  to  trickle  slowly  through 

her  slim,  brown  fingers" 24 

"She  turned  a  face  of  wistful  sweetness  upon  her  attendants, 

murmuring  her  thanks" 112 

"Xerxes  set  his  imperial  crown  upon  the  head  of  Esther,  and 

proclaimed  her  his  wife  and  queen"         ....      150 

"She  paused,  a  voiceless  prayer  to  Elolium  rising  from  her 

white  lips" 220 

"Twere   meet  that  I  sometimes  listen  to  these  records,' 

muttered  Xerxes" 240 

"And  Haman,  with  a  face  of  clay,  walked  before  Mordecai 

through  the  streets  of  the  city" 274 

"It  was  a  day  of  dreadful  doom  in  the  city  and  the  palace"     380 


1522706 


THE    STAR   OF    LOVE 


HE  Queen  Amestris,  known  also  by  her  Me 
dian  name  of  Vashti,  was  reposing  herself 
from  the  fatigues  incident  to  many  court 
functions  in  the  cool  recesses  of  a  marble 
hall  open  on  its  eastern  side  to  a  green  em 
bowered  garden.  She  was  quite  alone  in 
the  great  room,  save  for  the  black  slave  who  stood  behind 
her  couch  wielding  a  gilded  fan  of  palm.  Without  on  the 
vine-wreathed  terrace  a  score  of  attendants  waited  the  will 
of  their  royal  mistress  in  discreet  silence,  while  in  an  adjoin 
ing  chamber  her  tire-women  were  setting  forth  the  scent 
bottles  of  gold,  studded  with  uncut  jewels,  the  silver  brushes 
and  combs,  the  boxes  of  precious  unguents,  and  the  ewers  of 
scented  waters.  A  great  mirror  of  burnished  silver  reflected 
these  noiseless  activities,  as,  also,  the  high  carven  chair  where 
the  queen  would  presently  sit  while  her  hair-dressers  ar 
ranged  her  abundant  tresses  in  the  most  elaborate  of  the 

I 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


many  coiffures  affected  by  the  royal  ladies  of  the  court  of 
Xerxes. 

The  drowsy  quiet  of  the  luxurious  room  was  presently 
interrupted  by  an  imperious  voice  from  the  terrace  without 
and  the  low-voiced  replies  of  the  attendants. 

Amestris  languidly  opened  her  eyes  and  frowned  at  the 
gilded  ceiling  above  her  head;  she  had  given  orders  that  in 
no  case  was  she  to  be  disturbed  before  sunset;  but  she  well 
knew  that  there  was  one  person  in  the  palace  before 
whose  imperious  will  orders  of  any  sort  were  useless.  This 
person  presently  entered  unannounced,  pushing  aside  the 
heavy  draperies  of  purple  and  gold  with  more  than  royal 
rudeness.  She  was  an  elderly  woman  of  low  stature,  her 
small  feet  encased  in  elaborately  embroidered  shoes  with  high 
golden  heels,  which  clicked  energetically  as  she  walked. 
Perhaps  to  keep  herself  from  slipping  on  the  marble  stairs 
and  floors,  polished  to  an  almost  mirrorlike  surface  by  the 
daily  labor  of  innumerable  slaves,  she  carried  a  tall  staff 
of  myrtle  wood,  curiously  carved  and  tipped  with  a  ball  of 
glittering  jade  enwreathed  with  gold.  Her  dress  was  a 
closely  fitting  tunic  of  deep  violet  embroidered  about  the 
neck  and  sleeves  with  gold  and  pearls,  and  beneath  this  fell 
rich  folds  of  figured  silk  which  rustled  about  the  small  feet. 
The  face  of  the  woman  beneath  the  high  head-dress  of  gold- 
embroidered  stuff  bore  the  remains  of  great  beauty,  despite 
her  age  of  well-nigh  three  score  years,  and  her  blue  eyes 
beneath  the  faultlessly  modeled  brows  were  almost  as  beau 
tiful  and  keen  as  in  youth.  But  her  abundant  yellow  hair, 
braided  with  precious  stones,  too  obviously  owed  its  rich 
color  to  the  hands  of  the  hair-dresser,  while  the  brilliant  red 
and  white  of  her  complexion,  lavishly  and  skillfully  applied 
as  it  was,  quite  failed  to  hide  the  cruel  lines  which  the  pass 
ing  years  had  graven  on  the  once  fair  and  rounded  contour 
of  cheek  and  chin.  Queen  Atossa  had  enthralled  three  kings 
by  the  sheer  wonder  of  her  beauty,  and  now  that  beauty  was 

2 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


vanished  she  ruled  a  fourth  by  the  indomitable  spirit  which 
hid  itself  behind  the  faded  exterior  of  her  once  exquisite 
body. 

Amestris  had  not  troubled  herself  to  rise  to  her  feet 
before  the  mother  of  her  husband,  as  etiquette  demanded, 
but  she  languidly  motioned  her  to  a  seat  on  the  opposite 
divan. 

"  I  am  really  too  fatigued  for  ceremony,"  she  said  some 
what  peevishly,  "  and  I  was  trying  to  sleep  that  I  might  be 
refreshed  for  the  evening  banquet  with  the  king." 

The  older  woman  laughed  the  light  musical  laugh  of 
her  lost  youth, 

"  So  your  slaves  told  me ;  but  naturally  they  dared  not 
refuse  me  admittance."  The  queen  dowager  spoke  with  the 
proud  insolence  which  brooks  no  contradiction,  her  blue 
eyes  dwelling  the  while  upon  the  haughty  face  of  the  recum 
bent  queen,  an  inscrutable  smile  lingering  in  their  depths. 

Amestris  had  been  a  very  beautiful  woman  in  the  first 
bloom  of  her  youth;  but  now,  in  her  thirtieth  year,  she 
plainly  showed  the  evil  effects  of  the  too  luxurious  life  to 
which  she  had  been  accustomed  from  childhood.  The  ex 
quisite  lines  of  brow  and  nose  had  changed  subtly  into  some 
thing  less  exquisite.  The  mouth,  once  fragrantly  red  like 
the  passionate  heart  of  a  rose,  had  coarsened  somewhat  and 
become  dull  in  tint.  The  haughty  chin  curved  boldly  into 
a  heavy  fold  of  flesh,  whence  it  descended  into  the  broad 
columnar  throat  with  its  encircling  lines  of  a  beauty  over 
ripe.  The  rounded  arms  and  the  magnificent  bust  and 
shoulders  still  gleamed  white  and  wonderful  through  the 
folds  of  rose-colored  tissue  which  half  covered,  half  revealed 
them,  and  her  small  hand,  with  its  slim,  pointed  fingers  and 
oval  nails  like  pink  pearls,  lay  warmly  white  on  the  coverlid 
like  some  wondrous  flower.  If  Atossa  was  a  rose  stripped 
of  its  glory  of  summer  leaves,  Amestris  was  assuredly  a  rose 
full  blown  and  already  at  the  point  of  fading. 

3 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


The  queen  mother  continued  to  gaze  at  the  graceful, 
indolent  figure  of  her  daughter-in-law,  the  smile  in  her  eyes 
softening  into  a  look  which  in  another  might  have  been  con 
strued  into  pity  or  contempt,  or  a  subtle  mingling  of  both ; 
but  the  daughter  of  Cyrus  had  been  too  long  complete  mis 
tress  of  herself  and  her  emotions  to  allow  her  features  to 
speak  for  her. 

'  'Tis  a  pity  that  you  did  not  have  the  counsel  of  one 
wiser  than  yourself  yesterday  at  this  hour,"  observed  Atossa 
at  length,  and  by  way  of  emphasizing  her  speech  she  tapped 
briskly  upon  the  floor  with  the  jade  ball  of  her  staff,  which 
she  habitually  held  planted  before  her  after  the  manner  of 
the  Persian  monarchs. 

Amestris  had  permitted  the  thick  curtain  of  her  long 
lashes  to  fall  over  her  dark  eyes. 

"  It  pleases  the  revered  mother  of  the  great  king — 
may  he  live  forever — to  speak  in  riddles,"  she  answered, 
without  troubling  to  lift  them. 

"  Has  no  one,  then,  told  you  what  happened  at  the  ban 
quet  yesterday?"  demanded  Atossa,  her  voice  suddenly 
honied  and  soft  as  the  distant  cooing  of  doves. 

Amestris  opened  her  eyes  and  flashed  a  frightened  look 
at  the  queen.  When  Atossa  spoke  in  that  tone  it  was  time 
to  be  afraid ;  and  of  this  the  queen  consort  was  quite  as  well 
aware  as  the  meanest  slave  in  the  palace. 

"  I  have  heard  nothing,"  she  said,  a  shade  of  anxiety 
crossing  her  handsome  face,  "  nothing,  save  that  the  king 
will  set  forth  immediately  on  his  Grecian  campaign.  All 
the  satrapies  will  furnish  troops,  and  the  victory  of  the  Per 
sian  arms  is  already  well  assured." 

Atossa  laughed  musically,  quite  as  musically  as  in  the 
old  days  when  she  had  led  kings  and  princes  captive  by  the 
magic  of  her  charms. 

"  I  condole  with  you — Princess,"  she  said,  dropping  her 
words  slowly,  as  though  the  better  to  observe  their  blight- 

4 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


ing  effect ;  "  you  have  faded  early — too  early.  You  know 
I  warned  you  years  ago  against  many  sweetmeats,  and  the 
constant  sipping  of  sherbets." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  And  why  call  me  Princess,  who 
am  reigning  queen,  and  queen  alone  ?  "  demanded  Amestris, 
rising  and  looking  down  angrily  upon  the  shrunken  figure 
of  the  woman  at  her  feet. 

Seen  thus,  her  tall  majestic  form  drawn  to  its  full  height, 
Amestris  looked  every  inch  the  queen  she  had  declared  her 
self. 

"If  you  may  no  longer  be  called  queen  and  consort, 
you  have  only  yourself  to  thank  for  it,"  said  Atossa,  quite 
unmoved.  "  But  I  must  go ;  I  meet  my  son,  the  king, 
at  supper  to-night.  Doubtless  he  wishes  to  advise  with 
me." 

She  arose  and  drew  her  mantle  of  the  royal  violet  and 
white  about  her  shoulders  with  elaborate  care. 

"  It  is  suffocatingly  hot  in  here,"  she  drawled,  "  but  a 
cool  wind  from  the  mountains  has  sprung  up;  you  would 
do  well  to  direct  your  slaves  to  draw  the  curtains  and 
allow  it  to  enter." 

Amestris  had  grown  pale  to  the  lips;  she  advanced  al 
most  timidly  and  laid  her  hand  on  Atossa's  mantle,  as  if  to 
detain  her  against  her  will. 

"  It  still  pleases  the  great  queen  to  speak  in  riddles," 
she  said ;  "  but  I  am  dull  to-day  from  lack  of  sleep,  per 
chance " 

"  You  were  always  dull,  Amestris,"  the  queen  mother 
said  with  cutting  emphasis.  "  I  knew  it  right  well  when 
I  married  you  to  my  son;  but  you  were  healthy  and  hand 
some,  and  Xerxes  was  only  a  princeling  in  those  days.  I 
had  determined,  it  is  true,  that  he  should  sit  on  the  throne 
of  his  father,  Darius,  and  of  the  great  Cyrus,  my  father; 
for  he  alone  of  all  the  princes  was  of  the  blood  royal,  un 
polluted  by  any  commoner  strain." 

5 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  I  also  am  royal,"  interrupted  Amestris,  with  a  return 
of  her  queenly  hauteur. 

"  Not  altogether,"  said  Atossa.  "  Your  father  was  the 
brother  of  Darius,  it  is  true,  but  his  mother  was  a  slave. 
Still,  you  were  of  the  royal  house,  and  I  chose  you  for  my 
son." 

She  paused  and  looked  piercingly  into  the  pallid  face 
of  the  queen.  "  You  have  borne  Xerxes  three  sons,"  she 
went  on  with  merciless  distinctness,  "  and  so  far  you  have 
done  well;  one  of  those  sons  shall  one  day  sit  on  the  throne 
of  his  father.  But  you,  daughter  of  Otanes,  are  no  longer 
his  queen.  The  decree  has  already  gone  forth,  the  decree 
of  the  Medes  and  Persians  which  cannot  be  altered." 

Amestris  staggered  back  as  though  she  had  received  a 
mortal  blow.  "  You — you  are  mad !  I  do  not  believe  you !  " 

"  Why  did  you  not  come  to  the  banquet  yesterday  when 
the  great  King  Xerxes,  my  son — may  he  live  forever! — sent 
for  you  and  commanded  you  to  appear  in  his  presence  ?  " 

"  Yesterday — "  faltered  Amestris,  pressing  her  hand  to 
her  head  as  though  in  mortal  pain.  "  Why,  yesterday,  I  my 
self  entertained  the  wives  of  the  princes  and  their  honorable 
women  at  a  banquet  in  my  garden  here,  as  you  yourself  know. 
The  king  had  commanded  me  so  to  do,  and  I  obeyed.  The 
Queen  Atossa  did  not  honor  me  with  her  presence,  it  is  true, 
though  I  had  desired  it." 

"  I  dined  in  the  great  Hall  of  Columns,  sitting  at  the 
right  hand  of  my  son,  as  is  my  divine  right,"  answered 
Atossa  proudly.  "  I  care  not  for  women,  and  a  banquet 
where  no  men  are  present  is  a  weariness  to  the  flesh.  But 
the  Jcing  sent  for  you ;  in  my  hearing  he  dispatched  Aspa- 
mitres  with  a  message  bidding  you  present  yourself  before 
the  king's  majesty  without  delay.  But  you  did  not  see  fit 
to  obey." 

"How  could  I  leave  my  guests?"  faltered  Amestris. 
"  It  would  have  been  a  gross  insult.  The  Princess  of  Media 

6 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


was  on  my  right  hand  and  the  wife  of  Meres,  who  is  a 
Princess  of  Thebes  of  the  blood  royal,  on  my  left.  It  was 
impossible,  I  tell  you.  Besides,  I  was  not  attired  in  my 
robes  of  royal  state,  without  which  I  could  not  appear  in 
the  presence  of  the  king.  To  have  gone  to  the  hands  of  my 
tire-woman  would  have  consumed  an  hour  or  more ;  it  would 
then  have  been  too  late." 

Atossa  laughed,  a  harsh,  cruel  laugh  this  time,  which 
lashed  the  other  like  the  blow  of  a  whip. 

"  You  are  wondrous  fertile  in  excuses  now  that  it  is 
indeed  too  late,"  she  said.  "  I  beg  of  you,  do  not  exhaust 
your  breath  in  rehearsing  them  to  me." 

"  But  I— I  sent  a  writing  to  the  king  by  the  hand  of 
Aspamitres,  explaining  the  matter,"  Amestris  went  on,  her 
voice  trembling  more  and  more.  "  I  begged  Xerxes  to  do 
me  the  favor  to  excuse  me  until  somewhat  later,  when  it 
would  be  possible  for  me  to  come  to  him  without  offending 
my  guests.  I  entreated  him  to  send  me  word  of  his  royal 
will  in  the  matter.  Then  I " 

"  You  already  knew  his  royal  will,"  Atossa  interrupted 
coldly.  "  The  word  had  gone  forth,  the  word  of  a  Per 
sian  king,  and  you  chose  to  spurn  his  command,  to  flout  his 
divine  majesty  to  his  face  like  an  ignorant  shepherdess.  Not 
alone  did  you  affront  the  supreme  royalty,  but  all  the  assem 
bled  princes  of  Media  and  Persia,  who  were  cognizant  of 
the  matter." 

"  But  my  writing  was  to  the  king  alone.  As  a  wife  to 
her  husband  I  wrote,  and  I  directed  the  eunuch  Aspamitres 
to  give  it  into  the  hand  of  Xerxes  and  to  no  other.  He 
would  have  understood.  He  is  ever  most  kind  and  con 
siderate." 

"  Too  kind  and  too  considerate,"  mocked  Atossa.  "  And 
you,  unseeing  fool  that  you  are,  have  grown  ever  bolder 
and  more  presuming  in  your  treatment  of  the  king,  with 
that  familiarity  which  breeds  contempt,  as  an  overripe  pome- 

7 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


granate  produces  within  itself  the  maggot  which  destroys 
it.  So  have  you  destroyed  yourself,  Princess,  and  I  cannot 
find  it  in  my  heart  to  pity  you  overmuch.  Farewell!  I 
came  only  to  break  the  news  to  you  somewhat  more  gently. 
The  king's  decree  in  the  matter,  which  has  already  been 
written  by  the  hand  of  his  scribes,  will  reach  you  in  good 
time." 

Amestris  sank  back  half  fainting  on  her  couch  as  Atossa 
passed  out,  and  her  frightened  women  crowded  about  her, 
with  bottles  of  scent  and  restoratives.  Atossa's  voice  had 
not  been  loud,  yet  the  quick  ears  of  the  attendants  had  heard 
most  of  the  conversation,  and  consternation  had  fallen  upon 
them  one  and  all  like  an  untimely  frost  on  a  bed  of  bright 
flowers.  As  the  personal  attendants  of  Amestris,  they 
had  enjoyed  special  privileges  and  emoluments  which  might 
now  be  taken  from  them.  They  looked  at  one  another  with 
distraught  glances  full  of  a  growing  fear.  It  might  well 
be  that  the  fainting  queen  would  shortly  be  visited  by  the 
palace  executioner.  Such  grim  proceedings  were  not  al 
together  unknown  at  Shushan,  where  swift  poison  or  the 
silent  bowstring  were  the  convenient  mediums  by  which 
superfluous  or  inconvenient  persons  were  summarily  caused 
to  vanish  from  the  stage  of  gay  court  life.  One  by  one  on 
noiseless  feet  the  women  vanished  from  the  great  chamber, 
while  the  stricken  queen  lay  moaning  among  the  purple  and 
golden  pillows  of  her  couch,  her  dress  disordered,  her  rich 
hair  hanging  in  heavy  masses  to  the  floor.  At  last  only  the 
black  fan  girl  remained,  standing  like  a  statue  of  ebony 
behind  the  couch,  her  great  gilded  palm  leaf  swaying  back 
and  forth  in  the  perfumed  air  with  rhythmic  regularity. 


II 


T  was  already  early  in  the  day,  yet  the 
great  northern  approach  to  the  palace  of 
Xerxes  presented  a  brilliant  scene  of  bustle 
and  activity;  on  the  double  flight  of  grand 
sculptured  staircases,  which  connected  the 
city  of  Shushan  with  the  terraced  platform 
which  dominated  both  city  and  plain  like  a  vast  and  beauti 
ful  throne,  a  constant  procession  of  people  came  and  went 
in  a  parti-colored,  glittering  stream;  nobles,  slaves,  citizens, 
soldiers,  and  officers  of  the  guard,  the  latter  riding  their 
well-trained  horses  directly  up  the  wide  marble  stair,  con 
structed  with  a  view  to  this  very  end.  The  portico  itself, 
its  lofty  roof  supported  upon  eight  magnificent  columns, 
was  in  effect  a  hall  of  audience  and  a  summer  throne  room, 
since  it  stood  open  to  all  the  winds  of  heaven,  save  for  the 
marvelous  hangings  of  white,  green,  and  blue  fastened  with 
cords  of  the  royal  white  and  violet,  which  conveniently 
shielded  it  from  too  ardent  incursions  of  the  brilliant  light 
of  the  cloudless  spring  sky.  In  and  out  under  the  carven 

9 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


capitals  swallows  flitted,  cleaving  the  bright  air  like  swift 
arrows  sped  from  an  unseen  bow,  while  the  cool  marble 
pavements  far  beneath  resounded  to  the  subdued  ring  of 
armor  and  the  sound  of  innumerable  feet  coming  and  going 
between  the  columns  upon  every  side.  In  the  midst  of  this 
vast  columnar  hall,  the  burning  cynosure  of  every  eye,  sat 
the  monarch  himself  upon  a  raised  dai's  which  commanded 
a  view  not  only  of  the  varied  groups  of  courtiers,  who 
appeared  to  gather  and  dissolve  beneath  his  eye  like  the 
gayly  colored  figures  of  a  kaleidoscope,  but  of  the  fertile 
plains  of  Shushan  stretching  away  like  a  lilied  carpet  to 
the  mountains  of  Lauristan,  rising  dim  and  cold  in  the 
purple  of  their  distant  majesty. 

The  earlier  business  of  the  day  had  consisted  chiefly  in 
receiving  the  official  reports  of  the  various  princes  and  sa 
traps  who  were  about  to  accompany  Xerxes  upon  the  long- 
contemplated  expedition  into  Greece.  The  son  of  Darius 
had  begun  his  rule  over  the  hundred  and  seven  and  twenty 
provinces  wrested  from  the  grasp  of  weaker  potentates  by 
the  doughty  enterprises  of  Cyrus,  Cambyses  and  the  no  less 
valiant  Darius,  by  the  notable  putting  down  of  an  insur 
rection  in  Egypt,  and  the  quelling  of  minor  revolts  in  less 
distant  dependencies.  Having  done  all  this,  and  being  now 
at  such  terms  of  peace  with  the  world  as  promised  a  period 
of  luxurious  inaction,  Xerxes  had  opposed,  as  vigorously  as 
a  rather  facile  and  yielding  temper  would  permit,  the  haz- 
arduous  campaign  to  which  he  now  found  himself,  the  re 
sources  of  his  kingdom,  and  his  honor  pledged.  Just  how 
the  easy-going  monarch  had  traveled  thus  far  on  the  road 
of  an  ambition  not  his  own  he  could  hardly  have  told;  his 
advisers  undoubtedly  had  interests  at  heart  directly  opposed 
to  his  own  more  peaceful  inclinations,  and  they  skillfully 
worked  upon  the  imagination  of  the  king,  causing  to  appear 
there  such  pictures  of  further  glory  and  aggrandizement  as 
they  chose  for  him,  somewhat  after  the  fashion  of  the  cun- 

10 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


ning  jugglers  and  magicians  who  amused  the  court  in  its  idle 
hours. 

Certain  it  was  that  Mardonius,  uncle  of  the  king  by 
marriage,  and  lamentably  defeated  in  Thrace  a  decade  ago, 
burned  to  retrieve  his  military  reputation,  expecting  for  him 
self  the  rich  prize  of  conquered  Greece.  Certain  refugee 
princes  of  Athens,  resident  for  some  years  in  the  Persian 
court,  hoped  to  be  established  as  dependent  despots  in  their 
native  city,  where  they  promised  themselves  glorious  orgies  of 
revenge  upon  their  enemies.  Demoratus,  the  Spartan,  con 
cealed  similar  ambitions  under  a  show  of  loyal  devotion  to 
the  Persian  monarch,  whose  creature  he  had  become;  while 
the  vast  number  of  Persian  and  Median  nobles,  soldiers, 
sycophants,  and  hangers-on,  accustomed  to  war  and  subsisting 
chiefly  on  the  fat  spoils  of  battle,  looked  forward  with  im 
patience  to  an  expedition  promising  glory,  plunder,  and  cap 
tives  innumerable,  both  male  and  female,  upon  whom  they 
would  work  the  will  of  the  conqueror  upon  the  conquered. 

So  it  had  come  to  pass  in  this  the  third  year  of  his  reign 
that  the  great  King  Xerxes  was  about  to  undertake  a  task, 
the  magnitude  and  difficulty  of  which  he  scarcely  yet  real 
ized.  For  more  than  six  months  the  work  had  been  going 
on  in  all  parts  of  his  dominions,  and  on  this  day  the  final 
results  were  being  summed  up;  reports  given  of  work  pre 
viously  ordered,  and  letters  and  edicts  prepared  by  the 
learned  scribes  who  sat  near  the  throne,  armed  with  the  ink- 
horns,  parchments,  and  pens  of  their  profession.  These  nu 
merous  letters,  reports,  and  edicts  must  be  translated  into 
the  more  than  seventy  languages  spoken  in  the  various  prov 
inces.  When  finished  they  were  read  aloud  in  the  king's 
hearing  and  stamped  by  his  seal-bearer  with  the  royal  seal; 
thereupon  they  were  given  to  the  hand  of  couriers,  riding 
night  and  day  on  the  king's  business  on  horses  swifter  than 
the  wind. 

Xerxes  had  now  listened  to  many  detailed  reports  re- 
2  II 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


iating  to  vast  levies  of  troops  and  their  equipment;  orders 
for  hundreds  of  triremes  and  thousands  of  vessels  of  infe 
rior  sorts  to  be  furnished  by  the  maritime  states.  Maga 
zines  of  corn,  he  was  informed,  had  been  built  and  stocked 
at  various  places  along  the  line  of  march.  The  great  bridge 
of  boats  over  the  Hellespont,  superior  in  solidity  and  strength 
to  any  bridge  of  the  sort  ever  attempted,  a  veritable  high 
road,  over  which  troops,  infantry  and  cavalry,  baggage  and 
supplies  might  be  transported  with  perfect  safety,  was  re 
ported  well-nigh  completed;  gangs  of  laborers  relieving  one 
another  night  and  day,  under  supervision  of  competent 
engineers  and  a  division  of  troops  commanded  by  Meres, 
one  of  the  seven  hereditary  princes.  The  grandeur  of  the 
forthcoming  campaign  and  the  almost  infinite  extent  of  his 
resources  had  been  unfolded  and  spread  out  before  the  youth 
ful  monarch  with  a  fulsomeness  of  phrase  and  a  tedious 
repetition  of  his  own  divine  prerogatives,  which  as  the  hours 
passed  became  almost  nauseating  in  their  effect  upon  the 
man. 

In  person,  Xerxes,  like  his  father  Darius  before  him, 
was  dark,  both  as  to  complexion,  hair,  and  beard ;  but  under 
his  black  brows  and  lashes  there  gleamed  unexpectedly  a 
pair  of  deep  blue  eyes  inherited  from  his  mother,  the  fair 
Atossa.  Unlike  the  proud,  scornful  regard  of  the  militant 
daughter  of  Cyrus,  these  eyes  of  the  royal  despot  were  sin 
gularly  soft  and  sparkling.  His  ready  smile  revealed  rows 
of  perfect  teeth  in  the  depths  of  his  beard,  which  he  wore 
trimmed  and  curled  in  close  soldier  fashion.  Xerxes  would 
have  been  called  a  handsome  man  anywhere;  in  the  lan 
guage  of  his  courtiers  he  was  the  divine  one,  the  lightning 
of  whose  glance  could  make  alive,  though  it  had  slain ;  the 
beauty  of  whose  brow  rivaled  the  grandeur  of  the  moun 
tains;  whose  breath  was  sweeter  than  the  perfume  of  roses, 
even  though  they  were  roses  of  Shiraz ;  whose  thighs  and 
shoulders  were  mightier  than  the  foundations  of  the  earth; 

12 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


and  whose  will  was  inflexible  like  the  will  of  Auramazda, 
the  All-Wise  God.  He  was  King  of  Kings ;  the  Lord  of  the 
whole  Earth — invincible,  inflexible,  all  glorious!  Yet  Xerxes 
yawned  wearily  and  very  like  a  common  man  behind  his 
broad,  brown  hand,  even  while  the  acclamations,  in  which 
every  soul  of  all  the  hundreds  in  his  presence  joined,  rang 
through  the  great  carved  rafters,  till  the  vast  columns  hewn 
from  the  colored  ^Egean  marbles,  appeared  to  rock  on  their 
carven  bases. 

While  the  tumult  was  loudest  the  king  grasped  the  arms 
of  his  chair  as  if  to  rise,  the  signal  for  terminating  the  au 
dience.  A  man  who  stood  at  the  left  of  the  monarch,  with 
watchful  eyes  upon  his  every  movement,  bent  forward  and 
whispered  a  word  in  his  ear. 

"Another  edict  still?"  muttered  Xerxes,  mouthing  his 
words  as  if  disgusted  with  them.  "  Let  the  scribes  dispatch 
it  then;  I  will  do  no  more  to-day.  Nay,  were  I  immortal 
as  Auramazda  I  should  weary  of  the  ceaseless  stream  of 
affairs.  Bid  Aspamitres  and  Bigthana  attend  me,  and  do 
you,  Haman,  follow  me  to  the  garden.  Even  a  god  must 
eat  and  drink,  and,  by  Bel  and  Nabon,  I  am  parched  as  the 
desert  and  empty  as  a  beggar's  purse!  " 

The  man  addressed  as  Haman  glanced  dubiously  at  the 
scroll  which  an  attendant  had  just  thrust  into  his  hand, 
then  he  beckoned  to  one  of  the  scribes  to  follow,  as  he  in 
his  turn  joined  the  train  of  his  royal  master. 

The  scribe  in  question  was  a  tall,  grave  man  apparently 
well  past  middle  age,  his  untrimmed  beard  and  certain  pe 
culiarities  of  his  dress  setting  him  apart  from  the  company 
of  scribes  from  whom  he  had  just  been  singled  out. 

"  You  heard  what  our  royal  master  said  with  regard  to 
the  edict  pertaining  to  the  queen?  "  asked  Haman  in  a  half 
whisper.  "  You  have  only  to  affix  the  royal  seal  and  dispatch 
it  to  the  various  provinces." 

"  Nay,  but  the  Great  King — may  he  prosper  exceedingly 
13 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


— has  not  yet  heard  the  writing  of  the  decree.  I  must  read 
it  in  his  presence,  according  to  the  law;  else  I  cannot  send 
it." 

"  You  are  too  particular  as  to  the  law,  Matacas.  The 
king  is  the  law.  He  has  passed  his  royal  word  to  divorce 
the  queen;  and  it  only  remains  to  finish  the  business,  as  he 
commanded." 

The  scribe  looked  troubled. 

"  The  king  knew  not  what  edict  it  was.  Perchance  he 
will  repent  himself  of  an  act  done  in  haste.  The  queen  is 
the  wife  of  his  youth  and  the  mother  of  his  sons.  She  is  a 
great  princess,  moreover,  and  of  the  blood  royal." 

Haman  fixed  the  scribe  with  a  lightning  glance  of  dis 
pleasure. 

"Who  are  you,  Jew,  to  instruct  me,  a  noble  of  Persia? 
Hold  your  craven  tongue  and  follow  in  silence.  I  will  see 
to  it  that  the  royal  seal  is  affixed  in  the  presence  without 
delay." 

Xerxes,  lolling  at  his  ease  in  a  latticed  marble  pavilion, 
where  his  cupbearers  poured  for  him  the  exquisite  wines  of 
Shiraz  and  Ecbatana  into  golden  goblets  cooled  with  snow, 
glanced  up  with  a  laugh  of  relief  and  pleasure  as  Haman 
again  obtruded  his  brilliant  presence  within  the  range  of  the 
royal  vision. 

"  Drink,  Haman,"  he  bade  the  courtier,  "  and  forget 
care!" 

"  But  the  edict,  Great  King,  which  requires  only  the 
affixing  of  the  royal  seal  to  become  a  law." 

"  What  edict  have  I  issued  of  late  which  requires  this 
unseemly  haste?"  demanded  the  king  impatiently.  "Can 
not  I  refresh  myself  for  an  hour  in  my  garden  without  an 
edict  being  thrust  into  my  face?  Take  it  away!  " 

"May  the  king's  excellent  majesty  pardon  his  servant; 
but  I  act  under  the  king's  express  command  of  yesterday." 

Xerxes  raised  his  hand  meditatively  to  his  beard. 
14 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  Yesterday — yesterday  ?  Why,  yesterday  I  feasted  the 
princes.  There  was  no  state-craft  mixed  with  the  victuals 
of  the  king's  table ;  no  royal  commandments  issued,  save  as  to 
the  wine  and  the  disposition  of  the  garlands." 

"  The  King's  Majesty  cannot  have  forgotten  the  refusal 
of  the  Queen's  Majesty  to  appear  at  the  banquet,  and  the 
decree  that  went  forth  from  the  all-wise  tongue  of  the  king," 
faltered  the  courtier,  paling  a  little  before  the  blue  light 
ning  of  the  king's  gaze,  yet  secure  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
unalterable  nature  of  the  writing,  which  had  already  been 
made  by  the  most  skilled  of  all  the  king's  learned  scribes. 

"  You  are  talking  foolishness,  Haman;  I  remember  noth 
ing  of  what  you  say;  yet — "  The  king  paused  and  passed 
his  hand  across  his  eyes  as  if  to  brush  from  them  some  hin 
dering  substance.  "  Why,  the  queen  was  present  at  the 
banquet,  and  sat  at  my  side,"  he  exclaimed. 

"  The  Queen  Atossa,  exalted  mother  of  the  divine  Maj 
esty,  sat  at  your  right  hand."  The  courtier's  voice  was 
low  and  smooth.  He  knew  well  that  the  king's  senses  had 
been  muddled  with  wine  when  the  unalterable  words  had 
issued  from  his  lips,  and  also  that  his  hasty  decision  had  not 
emanated  from  his  own  mind,  but,  as  too  frequently  hap 
pened,  from  the  wily  suggestion  of  Atossa  herself,  and  of 
Memucan,  a  powerful  prince  of  Media,  who  secretly  hated 
the  reigning  queen. 

"  The  queen  mother — yes ;  I  remember  now ;  but  my 
wife,  my  Amestris,  was  not  there.  I  remember  that  I  missed 
her.  But —  Why  in  the  name  of  Auramazda  do  you  all 
stare  at  me  so?  Read  what  you  have  written,  Matacas;  I 
see  you  are  waiting,  your  hooked  nose  smelling  the  parch 
ments,  like  a  bird  of  ill  omen." 

The  scribe  gravely  unrolled  the  parchment  which  he 
held  in  his  hand  and  proceeded  to  read  to  the  king,  in  full 
form  and  in  the  language  of  the  decree  unalterable,  after 
the  manner  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  the  royal  edict 

15 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


against  Vashti  Amestris,  one  time  royal  consort  of  Xerxes, 
the  King  of  Media  and  Persia  and  of  the  one  hundred  and 
seven  and  twenty  provinces,  the  names  whereof  were  set 
down  in  due  order;  to  the  effect  that  since  Vashti  Amestris, 
the  Queen's  Majesty,  had  refused  to  obey  the  direct  com 
mand  of  the  king,  she  was  hereby  set  aside  and  divorced  for 
ever.  There  followed  also  the  kingly  command  that  all 
wives  and  maidens  in  all  the  excellent  dominions  and  king 
doms  of  Xerxes  should  hereby  take  warning  to  observe  and 
do  as  they  were  bidden  by  those  men  who  had  rule  over 
them,  lest  a  similar  evil  fate  overtake  them. 

As  the  scribe's  sonorous  voice  intoned  the  formal  words 
of  the  writing,  which  he  had  himself  transcribed  from  the 
unthinking  words  of  Xerxes,  words  cunningly  suggested  to 
him  by  Memucan,  chief  enemy  of  the  queen,  Xerxes  turned 
exceeding  pale,  and  his  blue  eyes  blazed  fiercely  under  the 
penthouse  of  his  black  brows. 

'  'Tis  a  conspiracy,"  he  said  hoarsely,  "  a  foul  con 
spiracy  against  the  queen,  and  against  myself,  in  that  the 
queen  is  well  beloved  by  me,  and  I  would  not  willingly  do 
her  harm."  His  head  sank  forward  on  his  breast,  while 
unwilling  Memory  held  her  torch  over  the  events  of  the  pre 
vious  day.  He  began  to  realize,  albeit  vaguely,  the  unhappy 
circumstances  which  had  caused  this  terrible  writing.  Some 
one — it  might  have  been  Memucan — had  spoken  softly  of 
the  queen  in  his  ear.  She  was  the  most  beautiful,  the  voice 
had  said  purringly,  of  all  women  in  the  world;  and  he  had 
assented  with  a  shout  of  approval.  Like  the  lilies  of  Shu- 
shan  for  perfection,  like  the  snows  of  Lauristan  for  purity, 
and  like  the  throne  of  the  King's  Majesty  for  splendor. 
Again  and  yet  again  his  cup  bearers  had  filled  the  gem- 
encrusted  goblet,  and  he  had  drunk  deeply  of  both  wine  and 
flattery,  till  a  great  foolish  longing  had  come  upon  him  to 
display  the  superlative  charms  of  his  queen  before  the  eyes 
of  the  assembled  princes  and  potentates.  He  had  pictured 

16 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


her  in  all  the  majesty  of  her  beauty  and  the  magnificence 
of  her  royal  apparel,  gleaming  with  the  pearls  and  jewels 
which  he  had  himself  chosen  for  her.  And  forgetting  all 
else  save  his  fatuous  pride  in  his  queen,  he  had  dispatched  his 
chamberlains  to  fetch  her. 

She  had  not  come.  Aspamitres  had  prostrated  himself 
in  the  royal  presence  as  one  overcome  with  fear,  and  de 
livered  the  queen's  reply.  "  The  Queen's  Majesty,"  he  said, 
"  sends  greeting  to  Xerxes,  King  of  Media  and  Persia,  and 
regrets  that  she  cannot  accede  to  his  request,  inasmuch  as  the 
etiquette  prescribed  by  the  King's  Excellent  Majesty  forbids 
the  presence  of  honorable  women  at  banquets  like  the  one 
at  which  the  king  is  set  down." 

At  this  the  queen  mother,  who  sat  glittering  with  jewels 
like  an  idol  and  quite  unabashed  at  her  son's  right  hand, 
blazed  with  ill-concealed  fury. 

"  Honorable  women,  indeed !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  What 
then  am  I,  daughter,  wife,  and  mother  of  kings?  The  queen 
has  cast  a  base  insult  at  me,  Atossa,  daughter  of  the  Great 
Cyrus,  founder  of  the  Persian  dynasty ;  and  to  you,  O  King, 
I  submit  the  matter.  Shall  this  descendant  of  a  slave  defy 
your  Excellent  Majesty  to  the  face?  Shall  she  cast  asper 
sions  upon  the  mother  of  the  Divine  One?  Auramazda  and 
all  the  gods  forbid !  " 

And  the  seven  hereditary  princes  who  sat  at  the  king's 
table  applauded  these  words  to  the  echo;  and  Memucan, 
who,  because  of  his  semi-royal  birth,  sat  at  the  king's  left, 
whispered  in  the  king's  ear  that  she  was  not  worthy  who 
had  done  this  thing,  since  certain  of  the  foreign  princes  were 
even  now  laughing  secretly,  because  the  King  of  Kings  had 
been  flouted  to  his  face  by  a  woman. 

The  words  had  enraged  Xerxes  beyond  measure,  he  re 
membered  it  all  now;  and  he  had  shrieked  out  that  no  one 
should  defy  his  authority  or  insult  his  majesty.  He  had 
turned  in  his  rage  to  the  men  who  watched  the  scene  from 

17 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


under  drooping  lids  as  those  who  know  not  whither  the  event 
will  turn  under  their  eyes. 

"  What  shall  be  done  to  this  woman,  according  to  the 
law,  because  she  has  disobeyed  me,  and  defied  me  to  my 
face  in  this,  my  own  palace  ?  " 

At  first  no  one  durst  raise  his  voice  against  the  queen, 
because  every  man  of  them  knew  that  in  his  sober  hours 
Xerxes  was  as  wax  in  the  hands  of  his  women.  And  they 
waited  for  Atossa  to  speak  first. 

Atossa  read  their  dubious  glances  aright.  She  had 
drunken  much  wine;  but  it  had  not  made  her  merry  at 
heart  as  the  king  had  been  but  an  hour  since;  only  bitterness 
and  wrath  lurked  in  the  cup.  The  great  queen  saw  herself 
second  who  had  always  been  first,  and  for  the  moment  she 
hated  Amestris  with  all  the  sullen  fury  of  her  nature.  The 
cunningly  devised  insult  of  Aspamitres's  words,  which  were 
indeed  true,  but  which  it  chanced  Amestris  had  not  uttered, 
were  as  oil  upon  the  flame  of  her  wrath.  The  scroll,  which 
Amestris  had  intended  for  the  hand  of  her  husband,  Aspa- 
mitres  gave  to  Memucan,  who  glanced  at  it  slyly,  then  crum 
pled  it  in  the  palm  of  his  hand. 

"  Let  Amestris  be  no  longer  queen,"  Atossa  said,  in  a 
high,  strident  voice  which  reached  the  ear  of  the  most  distant 
reveler.  "  Let  her  be  strangled !  " 

Memucan  seized  upon  the  words  of  the  queen,  and 
himself  spoke  to  the  king,  with  grave  assumption  of 
prudence  and  forbearance,  yet  as  one  who  plainly  foresaw 
unseen  evils  gathering  in  the  train  of  the  queen  consort's 
rash  action. 

"  May  the  Divine  One  live  forever,"  he  said,  "  and 
may  his  wisdom  be  that  of  Auramazda,  as  is  his  excellent 
glory;  but  the  queen  hath  wronged  not  the  king  only,  but 
all  the  princes  and  all  the  people  of  all  the  provinces  of  the 
King's  Majesty.  For  this  deed  of  the  queen  shall  come 
abroad  unto  all  women,  so  that  they  shall  despise  their  hus- 

18 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


bands  and  them  that  have  rule  over  them,  when  it  shall 
be  reported  that  the  great  King  Xerxes  commanded  his 
queen  to  appear  before  him,  but  she  came  not.  Likewise 
shall  the  ladies  of  Persia  and  Media  say  this  day  unto  all 
the  king's  princes,  which  have  heard  of  the  deed  of  the  queen. 
Then  shall  arise  too  much  contempt  and  wrath.  If  it  please 
the  king  let  there  go  a  royal  commandment  from  him,  and 
let  it  be  written  among  the  laws  of  the  Medes  and  Persians, 
that  it  cannot  be  altered,  that  Vashti,  who  is  also  called 
Amestris,  come  no  more  before  the  king.  And  let  the  king 
give  her  royal  estate  unto  another  that  is  better  than  she. 
And  when  the  king's  decree  which  he  shall  make  shall  be 
published  throughout  all  his  empire — an  empire  which  is 
bounded  only  by  the  ends  of  the  earth — all  wives  shall  give 
to  their  husbands  honor,  both  to  great  and  small.  Then 
shall  great  glory  redound  to  the  King's  Majesty,  and  all 
the  men  of  the  earth  shall  bow  before  him  in  praise  and 
gratitude." 

These  words  of  the  astute  Memucan  floated  before  the 
king's  mind  like  phrases  muttered  in  a  dream.  Like  a  dream, 
also,  was  the  memory  of  the  great  shout  of  approval  which 
shook  the  rafters  of  the  banqueting  hall.  But  had  he 
spoken  the  fatal  words  of  the  decree?  He  could  not 
remember. 

Suddenly  he  dropped  his  hands  from  his  eyes,  and  no 
one  present  ever  forgot  his  face  of  anguish.  He  spoke 
directly  to  the  scribe. 

"  Matacas,"  he  said  hoarsely,  "  tell  me  the  truth,  as  thou 
art  a  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews  and  dost  believe  in  thy  in 
visible  god,  Jehovah;  did  I  put  away  my  wife  Amestris  be 
cause  she  refused  to  come  to  the  banquet  at  my  command  ?  " 

The  Jew  looked  at  the  ashen  face  of  the  king  and  a  great 
pity  was  in  his  heart. 

"  May  the  King  live  forever,"  he  began  mechanically. 

But  Xerxes  interrupted  him  with  an  impatient  gesture. 
19 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


"  Forget  empty  ceremony  for  the  moment,"  he  said,  with 
a  frown  of  anger.  "  I  asked  the  question  of  you,  Matacas, 
because  you  were  present.  I  saw  you.  You  do  not  drink 
wine  as  we  Persians  drink  it.  I  ask  you  for  the  truth — as 
man  to  man." 

The  scribe  bowed  his  head. 

"  The  King  spoke  the  words  even  as  I  have  read  them 
in  his  presence,"  he  said  regretfully. 

Xerxes  groaned  aloud. 

"  Then  it  is  done,  and  no  one,  not  even  I,  who  am  King 
of  Potentates,  can  undo  it !  " 

He  clenched  his  great  hand,  and  the  muscles  of  his  arm 
swelled  visibly  within  the  band  of  red  gold  that  encircled 
it.  Matacas,  the  Hebrew  scribe,  whose  hand  had  dealt  the 
final  blow,  stood  like  a  statue  of  bronze  in  his  place,  bearing 
the  fateful  parchment;  in  the  background  Haman,  licking 
his  lips  with  the  furtive  satisfaction  of  a  sleek  animal, 
awaited  the  issue  with  unconcealed  eagerness;  while  the 
meaner  attendants  and  slaves  durst  not  raise  their  eyes  to 
the  stern  figure  that  dominated  them  all. 

In  the  midst  of  a  silence  which  could  be  felt  there  came 
a  rush  of  feet  at  the  door  without,  and  a  woman's  voice 
upraised  in  passionate  entreaty. 

"  Let  me  pass !  I  care  not  if  my  life  is  forfeit.  I  must 
— I  will  see  the  king!  " 

Xerxes  started;  then  a  swift  flush  sprang  to  his  dark 
face.  He  strode  to  the  door  and  thrust  aside  the  crossed 
spears  with  which  the  guards  had  barred  the  way.  The 
tall  figure  of  a  woman,  pallid  and  disheveled,  staggered 
past  them,  gazed  wildly  at  the  amazed  and  curious  faces  for 
an  instant,  then  dropped  moaning  at  the  feet  of  the  king. 

"  Xerxes — oh,  my  husband,  listen  to  me,  I  entreat  thee ! 
Nay,  slay  me  if  thou  wilt!  I  cannot — I  cannot  bear  it 
longer !  "  And  the  anguished  voice  broke  into  a  loud  sob 
bing  wail  of  inarticulate  grief. 

20 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


Xerxes  stooped.  "  Amestris,"  he  whispered  raising  the 
woman  tenderly  in  his  arms.  "  My  Amestris !  " 

Then  he  turned  with  a  snarl  of  rage  upon  the  watchful 
group. 

"  Out  of  my  sight — all  of  you !  I  would  be  alone  with 
my — wife." 


Ill 


N  the  courtyard  of  a  modest  house  near  the 
eastern  gate  of  the  city  of  Shushan  a  maiden 
stood  feeding  her  doves.  From  the  red-tiled 
roof  overhead,  and  from  the  gnarled  boughs 
of  the  ancient  olive  tree  that  cast  the  deep 
shadow  of  its  silver  leaves  upon  the  pave 
ment  came  the  pretty  creatures  with  eager  swoop  and  flutter, 
crowding  about  her  feet  with  outstretched  necks  and  a  pecu 
liar  winnowing  sound  of  their  broad  pinions.  The  girl  al 
lowed  the  yellow  grain  to  trickle  slowly  through  her  slim 
brown  fingers,  laughing  the  while  at  the  antics  of  a  couple 
of  iridescent  beauties  bolder  than  the  others,  who  ventured 
to  snatch  the  food  from  her  very  hand. 

"  There,  there!  my  little  ones;  it  is  enough!  "  she  cried, 
clapping  her  hands  over  the  empty  bowl.  "  See!  There  is 
no  more,  and  you  are  not  hungry,  only  greedy;  you  shall 
drink  first,  then  fly  away." 

She  pushed  back  the  cover  from  the  stone  cistern,  drew 
out  a  brown  jugful  and  poured  it  slowly  into  a  broad 

22 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


basin  of  polished  copper;  then  stood  aside  to  watch  the 
thirsty  creatures  as  they  plunged  their  pretty  heads  deep 
into  the  cool  water.  A  flock  of  chattering  sparrows  had 
gathered  and  were  hopping  nimbly  about  picking  the  frag 
ments  left  from  the  pigeons'  hasty  meal  from  between  the 
stones.  The  girl  glanced  at  them  thoughtfully,  her  red 
lips  parting  in  a  half  smile. 

As  she  stood  thus,  leaning  upon  the  cistern  watching 
the  almoners  of  her  lavish  bounty,  she  looked  little  more 
than  a  child.  Albeit  her  kirtle  of  blue  and  white  fell  about 
her  tall,  slender  figure  down  to  the  small  sandaled  feet,  while 
a  womanly  veil  of  darker  stuff  drawn  over  her  head  half 
hid  the  heavy  waves  of  rich,  dark  hair.  Her  face,  a  slender 
oval,  gleamed  white  under  the  dark  mantle — yet  was  it  white 
with  a  rich  undertone  of  rosy  olive,  the  cheeks  flushing  with 
a  warmer  color  which  paled  and  deepened  with  the  gener 
ous  tides  of  life  beneath.  Her  features  were  straight  and 
noble,  her  mouth  red  and  passionate  as  the  mouth  of  a 
woman,  yet  the  dark  eyes  beneath  the  thick  curtain  of  curl 
ing  lashes  still  wore  the  soft  wondering  look  of  a  young 
child,  who  gazes  at  the  world  half  pleased,  half  affrighted, 
from  the  safe  shelter  of  its  mother's  arms. 

A  young  man  wearing  the  gleaming  armor  and  winged 
crest  which  distinguished  the  guardsmen  of  the  king  entered 
the  cool  retreat  softly,  and  paused  irresolute  as  if  loath  to 
disturb  the  utter  peace  and  innocence  of  the  maiden's  reverie. 
But  she  heard  his  step  and  turned  her  head  with  a  flashing 
smile  which  woke  up  a  myriad  of  charming  curves  and 
dimples  and  made  of  her  more  a  child  than  ever. 

"  After  all  your  promises,  Nathan,  you  are  too  late  to 
see  the  pigeons  feed,"  she  said  reproachfully.  "  I  waited  and 
waited  till  the  poor  darlings  were  ready  to  devour  the  very 
stones  for  hunger.  And  so  you  see  I  had  to  feed  them, 
though  I  did  want  you  to  see  them  eat  from  my  hand." 

"  It  was  impossible  for  me  to  get  off  duty  before,  Ha- 
23 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


dassah,"  said  the  man,  advancing  into  the  brilliantly  lighted 
space  by  the  cistern.  "  I  thought  of  you,  dear,  and  longed 
to  be  here." 

The  girl  looked  up  at  the  handsome,  dark  face  under 
the  gilded  helmet  with  a  little  cry  of  surprise  and  pleasure. 

"What  beautiful,  dazzling  bright  armor!"  she  cried, 
"and,  oh,  those  outspread  wings  in  the  front  of  your  cap! 
they  are  almost  like  the  wings  of  my  prettiest  dove;  and, 
Nathan,  is  that  the  king?  "  Her  child's  voice  sank  to  a 
reverent  murmur,  as  she  touched  with  one  slim  finger  the 
bronze  figure  of  a  man  between  the  wings. 

"Yes,  little  one;  that  small  image  represents  the  King's 
Majesty,  and  the  wings  are  the  token  of  his  power,  a  power 
which  in  the  language  of  the  court  overspreads  the  earth 
from  the  rising  of  the  sun  to  the  going  down  thereof.  Nev 
ertheless,  we  must  needs  make  war."  The  young  man  drew 
his  black  brows  together  half  angrily  as  he  doffed  his  pointed 
helmet,  for  the  heat  in  the  street  without  was  great  and 
he  had  come  in  haste  through  the  city.  "  May  I  entreat 
you  for  a  draught  of  water,  dear  Hadassah  ?  " 

The  girl  clapped  her  hands. 

"  I  have  something  better  than  that,"  she  cried.  "  Guess 
what  it  is!  " 

She  approached  her  brilliant  child's  face  nearer  the  man, 
and  for  the  life  of  him  he  could  not  resist  the  innocent 
freshness  of  the  smiling  lips,  but  touched  them  lightly  with 
his  own. 

The  girl  shook  her  head  and  drew  back. 

"  You  ought  not  to  do  that,  Nathan,"  she  said  gravely. 
"  We  are  not  yet — betrothed."  She  blushed  deliciously  as 
she  hesitated  over  the  last  word. 

"  But  I  love  you,  Hadassah ;  and  you,  dearest  and  loveli 
est  of  women,  love  me;  have  you  not  said  so,  sweet?  "  His 
tone  breathed  a  subtle  anxiety  mingled  with  the  passion 
of  young  love. 

24 


"THE    GIRL   ALLOWED   THE   YELLOW  CHAIN   TO    TRICKLE   SLOWLY    THROUGH    HER 
SLIM,   BROWN  FINGERS." 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


The  dark  maiden  looked  up  at  him,  and  her  child's  eyes 
were  clear  and  deep  as  pools  of  water  under  the  midnight 
sky. 

"  Indeed  I  do  love  you,  Nathan,"  she  said  earnestly. 
"And  I  love  Mordecai,  too;  for  he  is  ever  the  best  and 
dearest  of  fathers  to  me  who  have  neither  father  nor  mother  ; 
and  I  love  my  pigeons  also,  and  these  little  brown  birds 
who  glance  at  me  with  such  bright,  wild  eyes." 

The  mischievous  dimples  had  begun  to  come  and  go  in 
her  soft  cheeks,  and  she  lowered  her  long,  dark  lashes,  as  she 
saw  a  swift  frown  gather  between  the  brows  of  her  lover. 
"  Now  you  are  angry,  Nathan;  for  you  look  black  and  fierce 
as  an  eagle  about  to  pounce  on  one  of  my  white  pigeons;  but 
why?  And  why  should  you  scowl  at  me?  Am  I  not  right 
to  love  Mordecai,  and  Abihail — nay,  I  love  her  not  over 
much.  She  scolds  me  too  often,  and  her  voice  it  grates  like 
the  noise  of  the  stones  when  the  corn  is  growing  fine." 

"  But,  Hadassah,  beloved,  I  do  not  love  you  as  Mor 
decai  loves  you,  nor  as  Abihail  loves  you,  nor  yet  as  these 
pretty  pigeons,  who  gather  daily  to  feed  of  your  bounty." 

"Oh,  do  you  not?  Tell  me  then;  how  do  you  love 
me,  Nathan  ?  " 

"  I  have  told  you  many  times,  child ;  but  you " 

"  Tell  me  again.  I  am  so  forgetful.  Ah,  you  cannot 
guess  how  forgetful  I  am!  That  is  why  Abihail  scolds  me 
so  often  with  her  voice  that  gra-ates  like  the  millstones." 

The  young  man  possessed  himself  of  one  of  the  little 
hands  which  he  pressed  fervently  to  his  lips. 

"  I  will  tell  you  again,  dearest  and  best-beloved  of  my 
soul;  and  yet  again  and  again,  for  it  is  sweeter  than  honey 
out  of  the  rocks — this  love  of  mine  for  thee." 

"Yes?"  smiled  the  maiden,  "then  tell  me  just  how 
you  love  me,  and  I — will  listen  and  try — oh,  so  hard,  to  re 
member." 

"  I  love  thee,  beloved,  as  the  sun  loveth  the  earth  when 
25 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


he  stoops  to  it  in  his  majesty,  and  the  earth  at  his  kiss 
bursts  into  bloom  and  fruitage;  I  love  thee  as  the  thirsty 
deer  loves  the  cool  water  of  the  mountain  stream,  when  all 
day  he  hath  been  hard  driven  by  the  hunter;  I  love  thee 
as  the  mother  loveth  the  babe  that  nestles  at  her  breast, 
for  so  art  thou,  fair  and  helpless  and  tender.  I  love  thee 
as  the  great  sea  loveth  the  little  stream  that  fain  would 
lose  itself  in  its  bosom.  I  love  thee  as  the  nightingale  loveth 
the  rose-thicket,  where  he  sings  all  night  to  the  moon  and 
poureth  out  his  heart  to  the  night.  With  all  my  man's 
strength  I  love  thee;  with  my  height;  my  depth;  my  in 
nermost  being." 

Hadassah  burst  into  a  joyous  ringing  laugh  as  her  lover's 
impassioned  voice  sank  into  silence. 

"  Nay,  but  I  cannot  remember  all  the  ways  in  which 
you  love  me,  there  are  so  many  of  them;  but  I  will  try. 
You  shall  hear  me  at  my  lesson." 

She  held  up  one  delicate  child's  hand  with  its  pink- 
tipped  pointed  ringers,  and  began  to  count  upon  it  with  the 
forefinger  of  the  other  hand. 

"  Listen,  now,  and  tell  me  if  I  forget,  Nathan.  First, 
you  love  me  like  the  sun;  and  second,  you  love  me  like — 
yes,  now  I  remember,  like  the  thirsty  deer.  That  is  a 
queer  way  to  love;  is  it  not?  Then,  you  love  me  like — like 
— no ;  do  not  tell  me ;  I  wish  to  think  of  it  all  myself.  You 
love  me  like —  Nay;  I  cannot  remember." 

"  You  must  needs  remember,  child,  for  I  am  going  away 
and  cannot  hear  you  at  your  lesson  many  times  more,"  said 
Nathan,  smiling  at  her  pretty  play  with  thumb  and  fingers. 
He  bent  to  kiss  the  pretty  hand  which  quivered  like  a  cap 
tive  bird  in  his  clasp.  "  I  am  going  with  the  king  into 
Greece." 

"With  the  king — into  Greece?  Oh,  Nathan,  why — 
why  are  you  going?  I  shall  be  so  dull  with  no  one  but  the 
doves  and  Abihail,  for,  as  thou  knowest,  Mordecai  comes 

26 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


home  but  seldom.  He  is  always  at  the  palace,  writing,  writ 
ing  all  day  long.  Oh,  I  cannot  bear  to  have  you  go.  If 
you  love  me  as  the  nightingale  loveth  the  rose — see;  I  have 
remembered — why  not  stay  with  me  always?" 

The  man's  arm  stole  softly  about  the  slender  waist. 

"  Hadassah,"  he  said  hoarsely,  "  I  would  that  I  could 
make  thee  my  wife  now,  at  once ;  but,  poor,  dependent  upon 
the  king's  bounty,  albeit  a  prince  of  Judah,  what  can  I  do? 
I  must  even  go  to  the  war  and  do  what  I  may  to  earn  glory 
and  reward.  I  shall  be  near  the  king's  person  as  one  of  his 
bodyguard.  Who  knoweth  whether  Jehovah  will  not  pros 
per  me,  even  as  he  prospered  the  great  prophet  Daniel  in 
the  days  of  the  wresting  of  Babylon  out  of  the  hands  of 
the  Assyrian?  I  will  come  back,  beloved,  and  thou  shalt  be 
mine  in  the  day  of  my  return.  I  will  demand  the  promise 
of  Mordecai,  thy  kinsman.  He  cannot  refuse." 

"  But  you  will  go — you  will  be  far  away  and  I — shall 
be  here — alone,"  sighed  the  girl.  "  Oh,  Nathan,  you  can 
not  think  how  dull  it  is,  and  how  tiresome  is  the  everlasting 
making  of  cakes  with  corn  and  honey,  and  I  cannot  shape 
them  as  Abihail  does,  try  as  I  may!  And  yesterday  I  let 
them  all  burn  on  the  stones  while  I  was  thinking  of  many 
things.  If  only  I  could  go  to  the  palace  sometimes,  and  see 
the  processions  and  hear  the  music." 

"  May  Jehovah  forefend !  "  muttered  the  prince.  "  Nay, 
child,  do  not  wish  for  the  palace.  It  is  not  a  good  place 
for  maidens." 

"  That  is  what  Mordecai  is  always  saying,"  pouted  the 
girl.  "  And  he  will  not  even  tell  me  of  the  beautiful  ladies 
overmuch,  nor  of  how  they  braid  their  hair,  nor  of  the  or 
naments  they  put  on;  and  I  should  so  like  to  know!  He 
says  he  does  not  remember  if  they  loop  the  braids  at  the 
side — so,  or  leave  them  loose.  Do  you  know,  Nathan?" 

"Nay,  child;  I  do  not  often  see  the  women  of  the 

royal  house.  And  I  would  not  if  I  could.  My  duties " 

3  27 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


"  Then  you  have  seen  them  ? "  interrupted  the  girl, 
clasping  her  small  hands  upon  his  arm,  with  the  gesture  of 
a  coaxing  child.  Tell  me,  Nathan,  about  the  beautiful 
ladies;  did  you  see — the  queen?" 

"I  saw  the  old  queen,  Atossa,  but  yesterday;  she  was 
at  the  banquet  given  by  the  king  to  the  seven  princes  and 
the  satraps  of  the  province." 

"  Oh,  the  Queen — Atossa,  did  you  say  her  name  was? 
How  curious  and  pretty!  Do  you  know,  I  do  not  like  my 
name  overmuch.  Hadassah — it  hath  a  harsh  sound;  do  you 
not  think  so,  Nathan  ?  " 

"  I  love  your  name,  sweet,  as  I  love  everything  about 
you ;  but  I  will  give  you  another  name ;  shall  I  ?  " 

"  Yes;  oh,  yes;  if  it  be  a  sweet  one." 

"  It  is  a  Persian  name,  and  its  significance  is  Star  of 
Love.  Is  not  that  sweet?  It  shall  be  for  me  and  thee 
alone.  Come,  I  will  give  it  thee  for  a  kiss,  beloved,  a  kiss 
which  I  will  carry  away  into  far  Greece  through  war  and 
rapine  perchance,  and  bring  it  back  to  thee  unpolluted." 

"  Well,  then ;  kiss  me,  and  tell  me  the  name." 

Nathan's  strong  arm  tightened  about  the  pliant  maiden 
form  till  it  lay  against  his  breast.  Then  he  set  his  lips  upon 
hers  in  a  long,  passionate  kiss.  "  Star  of  Love,"  he  whis 
pered,  "Esther!" 

The  Hebrew  scribe,  known  as  Matacas  in  the  Persian 
court,  failed  to  recognize  his  many  acquaintances  as  he  rode 
through  the  streets  of  Shushan  on  his  homeward  way;  his 
head  drooped  forward  upon  his  broad  breast,  his  deep-set 
eyes  seemed  to  be  fixed  upon  the  motions  of  the  large,  slow- 
stepping  mule  which  bore  him.  Truth  to  tell,  his  mind  was 
full  to  overflowing  of  many  serious  and  weighty  matters; 
chief  among  them  being  the  wording  of  a  new  and  most 
important  edict  which  had  been  intrusted  to  him,  as  chief 
among  the  palace  scribes,  to  frame  into  suitable  phrase  and 

28 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


form  in  all  the  seventy  languages  spoken  in  the  scattered 
provinces,  and  of  which  he  alone  was  master.  The  fact 
that  he  had  been  singled  out  by  name  for  the  king's  im 
passioned  appeal,  to  the  exclusion  of  Haman  and  other  noble 
Persians  present,  scarcely  occurred  to  his  mind ;  yet  its  effect 
upon  the  facile  courtiers  of  Xerxes  had  been  marked.  Al 
ready  the  palace  was  buzzing  with  it,  and  more  than  one 
envious  eye  marked  the  tall,  spare  figure  and  brooding  face 
of  the  Hebrew  as  he  strode  through  the  corridors,  past  whis 
pering  groups  of  slaves  and  courtiers,  apparently  oblivious 
to  their  deep  interest,  and  wholly  unaware  of  the  myriad 
speculations  excited  by  his  presence. 

Matacas  was  to  be  no  longer  scrivener,  said  one,  but 
was  shortly  to  be  advanced  to  a  prominent  position  in  the 
king's  gate,  as  the  great  anteroom  facing  the  northern  por 
tico  was  called.  He  had  already  received  a  rich  reward,  de 
clared  another;  and  this  person  was  ready  to  swear  to  the 
number  of  gold  darics  and  the  weight  of  the  many-linked 
chain  of  office  which  Bigthan,  chief  of  the  king's  treasury, 
had  delivered  to  him. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  king  had  no  thought  of  re 
warding  the  man  who,  albeit  at  his  own  request,  had  thrust 
deep  the  sword  of  separation  between  the  mother  of  his  sons 
and  himself.  Already  the  monarch  had  given  orders  concern 
ing  the  future  estate  of  Amestris,  and  all  day  Matacas  had 
been  busy  transcribing  his  expressed  wishes  with  regard  to 
the  moneys,  estates,  slaves,  privileges,  and  emoluments  to  be 
granted  to  the  divorced  queen.  The  decree  unalterable  had 
gone  forth,  the  decree  of  the  Medes  and  Persians  that  could 
not  be  broken ;  but  Xerxes  did  what  he  could  to  secure  to 
his  disgraced  consort  such  comforts  and  ameliorations  as  were 
at  his  command,  and  they  were  many.  The  tire- women  and 
attendants  who  had  forsaken  the  queen  in  the  dire  hour  of 
her  need  had  flocked  back,  eager  and  contrite,  only  to  find 
themselves  barred  from  the  royal  apartments,  where  other 

29 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


and  more  beautiful  maidens  and  slaves  had  already  taken 
their  places.  Courtiers  and  princes  vied  with  one  another 
to  do  homage  to  the  woman  who  from  the  depths  of  her 
abasement  had  still  contrived  to  win  the  king's  distinguished 
favor. 

Nevertheless — and  Matacas  knit  his  brows  afresh,  a  new 
edict  was  in  process  of  framing,  which  provided  for  the 
choosing  of  another  consort  for  the  imperial  majesty.  It 
was  not  meet,  urged  the  king's  advisers — prominent  among 
whom  was  Carchenas,  a  Median  noble,  and  one  in  policy 
and  ambition  with  Memucan,  who  durst  not  for  fear  of  his 
life  appear  with  undue  prominence  in  the  matter — it  was 
not  meet  nor  proper  that  the  King's  Majesty  should  be  alone. 
A  consort  must  be  chosen,  else  the  decree  lately  dispatched 
to  the  provinces  would  become  a  laughing  stock  among  the 
people  and  the  king  himself  forced  to  eat  his  own  words. 
It  might  indeed  be  that  Amestris  should  still,  in  the  compara 
tive  privacy  of  court  life,  be  one  of  the  lesser  wives  of  the 
monarch ;  but  in  the  eyes  of  the  nation  she  had  been  deprived 
of  her  high  estate,  and  another  better  than  she  must  be 
chosen. 

In  this  crisis  of  affairs  there  were  not  wanting  those 
who  urged  upon  Xerxes  the  remembrance  of  the  compact 
which  his  father  Darius  had  made  with  the  seven  hereditary 
princes,  providing  that  all  consorts  of  royalty  must  be 
chosen  from  among  the  seven  princely  houses,  thus  preclud 
ing  the  intrusion  of  strange  blood  and  stranger  religions 
through  foreign  or  barbaric  alliances,  and  utterly  doing  away 
with  the  danger  incident  to  the  influence  of  those  baser  crea 
tures  of  the  court,  who  might  by  sheer  charm  of  physical 
beauty  or  by  ill-nurtured  fascinations  of  magic,  black  or 
white,  obtain  such  complete  ascendency  over  the  royal  will 
as  to  be  proclaimed  queens  and  consorts. 

There  were  several  marriageable  princesses  from  among 
whom  the  king  might  choose.  But  Xerxes  angrily  refused 

30 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


to  be  cajoled  or  coerced  further.  He  had  been  deceived 
when  in  his  cups,  he  said  bitterly,  and  had  thereby  been 
forced  to  give  up  the  wife  whom  he  had  chosen  in  his  youth  ; 
but  he  would  do  no  further.  War,  he  declared,  should  be  his 
sole  mistress  for  the  present,  and  in  that  the  succession  was 
already  provided  for  in  case  of  his  unlooked-for  demise,  there 
could  be  no  fault  to  find  with  his  decision. 

It  was  the  Chief  Chamberlain  Hegai,  or  Hege,  as  he 
was  oftener  called,  who  at  last  obtained  the  ear  of  the 
king  in  one  of  his  softer  moments  and  begged  permission 
to  resort  to  one  of  the  ancient  and  picturesque  customs  of 
the  Oriental  Court. 

"  Let  me,  most  devoted  of  a  myriad  slaves,"  entreated 
this  silver-tongued  individual,  "  during  the  absence  of  the 
King's  Majesty  in.  Greece,  send  officers  into  all  the  provinces 
of  his  vast  kingdom,  and  let  these  persons  gather  all  the  fair 
est  of  the  young  maidens  and  give  them  into  my  charge  here 
in  the  palace,  and  when  the  King's  divine  Majesty  returns 
victorious  from  his  wars,  let  him  choose  among  them,  and 
the  maiden  which  pleases  the  king  shall  be  made  queen,  ac 
cording  to  his  royal  word  which  he  has  spoken." 

And  Xerxes,  vastly  displeased  with  all  the  passion  and 
furor  of  the  matter,  and,  truth  to  tell,  wearied  to  the  full 
measure  of  his  endurance  by  the  unceasing  tears  and  com 
plaints  of  Amestris,  whom,  it  appeared,  nothing  could  com 
fort  or  appease,  gave  Hege  leave  to  do  as  he  had  said. 

"  I  will  choose  a  queen  and  consort  when  I  return  from 
my  campaign  into  Greece,"  he  said  openly,  and  from  this 
decision  no  one  durst  venture  to  move  him;  not  even  Ames 
tris,  who  had  grown  haggard  and  unlovely  under  the  stress 
of  her  grief  and  abasement;  nor  yet  Atossa,  who  had  already 
on  her  part  chosen  for  her  son  Artisonna,  a  blond  princess 
of  Media. 

All  these  things  Matacas,  the  chief  scribe  of  Xerxes,  was 
turning  over  in  his  mind  when  he  dismounted  from  his  beast 

31 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


at  his  own  door,  and  gave  the  animal  into  the  hand  of  his 
servant. 

As  he  set  foot  across  his  threshold  he  heard  a  subdued 
murmur  of  voices  from  the  courtyard,  and  being  desirous 
to  learn  what  visitor  had  ventured,  without  his  express  leave, 
to  enter  his  house  in  his  absence,  he  paused ;  and  so  it  chanced 
that  he  heard  certain  of  the  words  of  Nathan,  prince  of 
Edom,  to  Hadassah,  his  ward  and  cousin. 

Being  a  discreet  man,  and  moreover  desiring  time  to  ar 
range  his  thoughts  which  had  indeed  woven  themselves  into 
a  rich  confusion,  like  the  parti-colored  threads  of  the  rug- 
weavers  of  Ispahan,  he  quietly  withdrew  his  foot  from  the 
door,  and  stood  without,  waiting  for  Nathan  to  appear. 


IV 


HE  undisguised  start  with  which  the 
royal  guardsman  recognized  the  scribe, 
standing  grave  and  motionless  in  the 
shadow  of  his  own  doorway,  and  the 
flush  of  angry  confusion  which  mounted 
to  his  forehead,  caused  a  quiet  smile 
to  curl  the  lips  of  Matacas. 

"  The  Prince  of  Edom  doeth  my  poor  house  honor,"  he 
said  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  as  he  bowed  before  the  martial 
young  figure;  "but  why  visit  it  during  my  absence?  Is 
not  my  presence  and  my  converse  pleasing  to  thee,  that  thou 
dost  choose  the  woman  Abihail  in  my  stead  ?  " 

"  I  came  not  to  see  Abihail,"  answered   Nathan,  with 
an  honest  confusion  of  countenance  which  became  him  well. 
"Who,  then?" 

"Surely  thou  knowest,  Mordecai;  and  why  dissemble? 
I  am  not  of  the  courtiers  of  Xerxes,  though  I  am  his  soldier ; 
and  thou  art  a  Hebrew  like  myself.  Why  not  speak  truth 
one  to  the  other,  as  becometh  sons  of  Abraham  ?  " 

33 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  Speak  then,  and  tell  me  who  it  is  in  my  poor  house 
that  has  merited  thy  most  distinguished  regard,  son  of  Asa." 

"  Nay,  thou  mockest  me,  Mordecai.  And  if  the  truth 
will  please  thee,  hear  it.  I  love  Hadassah,  thy  kinswoman, 
and  I  entreat  thee  to  give  her  to  me  in  betrothal,  that  when 
I  return  from  the  king's  business  I  may  take  her  to  be  my 
wife  in  all  honor." 

Mordecai  looked  down  upon  the  ground  in  silence.  He 
was  thinking  of  many  things,  and  he  could  not  at  once  bring 
himself  to  utter  the  formal  word  of  consent,  for  which 
the  young  prince  waited  impatiently. 

"  It  is  true  that  I  have  neither  lands,  houses,  nor  gold," 
continued  Nathan,  without  waiting  for  an  answer.  "  So 
this  we  may  omit  to  discuss;  but  I  shall  have  all  three,  if 
Jehovah  prosper  me,  when  I  return  in  one — two  years'  time. 
There  can  be  no  haste  to  wed  the  maiden,  since  she  is  little 
more  than  a  child.  Always  I  have  loved  her,  since  the  days 
when  I  carried  her,  a  tiny  child,  upon  my  shoulder  to  peep 
into  the  birds'  nests  in  the  old  olive  tree.  To-day  it  hath 
pleased  thee  to  forget  the  past;  but  perchance  a  court  matter 
hath  irked  thee.  For  my  part,  I  am  often  sad  or  angry 
at  my  post  in  the  fortress.  But  what  may  a  captive  do  in 
a  land  of  strange  customs  and  strange  gods?  " 

Something  in  these  impetuous  words  appeared  to  have 
given  Matacas — or  Mordecai,  as  he  was  called  by  those  of 
his  own  race — a  clew  to  his  answer. 

"Thou  has  spoken  wisely,  Nathan,  and  as  becometh  a 
prince  of  Israel.  I  had  not,  indeed,  forgotten  the  fact  of 
thy  intimacy  in  my  family;  but  of  late  I  have  repeatedly 
cautioned  Abihail  against  admitting  anyone  during  my  ab 
sence.  The  bud  is  already  unfolding  into  a  blossom,  and  I 
would  not  that  any  profane  or  heathen  eye  gaze  upon  its 
hidden  beauty.  And  so  I  confess  I  was  angry  when  I  heard 
the  sound  of  voices  from  within." 

"  My  eyes  are  those  neither  of  a  profane  man  nor  a 
34 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


heathen,"  laughed  Nathan,  once  more  at  his  ease,  and  confi 
dent  of  the  success  of  his  wooing,  "  and  I  would  fain  pluck 
the  lovely  flower  and  wear  it  in  my  bosom.  I  await  only 
thy  consent,  my  Mordecai,  to  give  to  the  maiden  Hadassah 
the  tokens  of  betrothal." 

"  You  should  have  awaited  my  consent  before  speaking 
to  her  of  your  passion,"  said  Mordecai  frowning. 

Even  as  he  spoke  the  words  his  thoughts,  which  had 
been  groping  confusedly  among  the  tangled  mazes  of  court 
intrigue  for  more  than  an  hour  past,  suddenly  flashed  an 
amazing  picture  before  his  eyes.  He  held  his  peace,  how 
ever,  and  continued  to  gaze  somewhat  coldly  and  impassively 
at  the  young  prince,  who  had  flushed  angrily  at  his  last 
words. 

"  So  you  were  listening?  " 

"  I  was  about  to  enter  my  own  house,  and  I — overheard," 
amended  Mordecai  suavely. 

"Be  it  so!  I  care  not  who  knows  of  my  passion  for 
Hadassah.  I  do  love  her,  and  no  woman  was  ever  better 
beloved  by  man." 

"  Softly,  softly,  my  son.  Hadassah  is  but  a  child,  a  little 
innocent  child,  who  knows  not  what  love  is;  and  I  am  con 
tent  that  she  remain  unwooed  and  unwed  for  the  present." 

"  Then  you  will  not  consent  to  our  betrothal  ?  "  Bit 
ter  disappointment  rang  in  the  young  soldier's  voice;  his 
dark  eyes  blazed  passionately  upon  the  older  man.  "  Re 
member  that  I  am  of  the  royal  line,  though  I  am  poor  and 
a  captive." 

"  Hadassah  is  also  among  the  descendants  of  Jehoiakim, 
the  king,"  murmured  Mordecai,  seemingly  quite  unmoved, 
"  and  she  will  be — very  beautiful." 

Nathan  stared  keenly  at  the  scribe's  contemplative  face. 
Something  that  he  saw  there  appeared  to  enrage  him  be 
yond  measure. 

"  I  believe  you  are  thinking  of  placing  her  in  the  royal 
35 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


gynaeceum,"  he  burst  out  in  the  Persian  tongue.  "  But,  no; 
I  was  mad  to  have  thought  of  such  a  thing!  You  could  not 
sell  your  own  flesh  and  blood — even  to  a  king.  Forgive  me, 
Mordecai,  I  entreat  you !  " 

The  scribe's  pallid  face  had  gradually  assumed  a  deep 
purple  flush;  he  opened  his  lips  to  reply;  then  closed  them 
firmly  and  turned  as  if  to  enter  his  door. 

The  young  prince  grasped  him  by  the  arm. 

"  Thou  shalt  not  leave  me  thus,  Mordecai,"  he  cried 
hoarsely.  "  I  know  not  what  put  such  a  monstrous  thought 
into  my  head.  Nay,  I  swear  I  did  not  even  think  it;  it 
sprang  suddenly  from  my  lips  like  an  arrow  from  a  taut 
string,  and  wholly  without  my  leave.  I  am  sorry.  For 
give  me !  " 

Mordecai  turned,  for  he  had  by  this  time  gotten  the  bet 
ter  of  his  well-nigh  ungovernable  anger. 

"  I  will  forgive  thee,  son  of  Asa,"  he  said,  in  cold,  mea 
sured  tones;  since  anger  and  malice  of  heart  ill  become 
captives  and  strangers  in  an  alien  land." 

"And  Hadassah ?" 

"  Go  thy  way,  Prince,  and  think  no  more  of  the  maid 
till  thou  are  returned  from  the  campaign.  Who  can  say  how 
the  event  will  turn  ?  And  it  were  not  well  to  make  a  widow 
of  one  who  is  no  wife.  Nay,  leave  her  to  me,  and  go." 

He  stepped  inside  as  he  spoke,  and  without  further  fare 
well  or  salutation  deliberately  barred  the  door  in  the  young 
soldier's  face. 

"  By  the  shrine  of  Ashtoreth,  what  evil  have  I  wrought 
by  my  own  hasty  tongue !  "  muttered  the  prince.  And  hav 
ing  relieved  the  tension  of  his  over-wrought  nerves  by  this 
wholly  pagan  oath,  he  went  away,  humiliated  and  angry, 
it  is  true,  yet  with  a  comforting  memory  hugged  warm  to 
his  heart  of  the  exceeding  sweetness  of  the  maiden's  lips 
when  she  had  yielded  them  to  his  own  in  exchange  for  the 
name  he  had  given  her. 

36 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  Esther — Esther — Star  of  Love  and  Good  Fortune !  " 
he  sang  in  his  heart.  "  Now  light  me  to  the  path  of  glory  ; 
then  show  me  how  to  win  the  lady  of  my  soul !  " 

The  words  sang  themselves  over  and  over  as  he  strode 
back  through  the  narrow  streets  of  Shushan,  and  climbed 
the  long  staircase  which  led  up  to  the  great  fortress  of 
Xerxes. 


HE  sun  had  set  in  a  blaze  of  crimson,  gold, 
and  purple  behind  the  black  mountains,  and 
the  pure  waves  of  color  pulsing  almost  to 
the  zenith  were  softening  and  paling  un 
der  the  light  of  the  moon,  which  appeared 
to  soar  upward  from  the  vast  undulating 
plains  on  the  east  like  a  monstrous  disk  of  burnished  silver, 
reflecting  the  golden  glory  of  the  vanished  sun.  The  maiden 
Hadassah,  leaning  sidewise  upon  the  roof  parapet,  watched 
the  pageant  of  the  changing  sky  in  pensive  silence.  Near 
her  sat  Abihail,  the  ancient  dame  whom  Mordecai  had 
chosen  to  be  the  girl's  nurse  and  guardian  when,  a  tiny 
child,  she  had  been  intrusted  to  him  by  her  dying  mother  in 
distant  Babylon. 

Abihail  was  working  busily  with  her  distaff  and  spindle, 
and  she  cast  an  occasional  glance  of  veiled  displeasure  at  the 
graceful,  indolent  figure  of  her  charge.  The  girl  intercepted 
one  of  these  glances  and  burst  into  a  soft  laugh  of  amuse 
ment. 

38 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  Poor  Abihail !  "  she  murmured  in  her  sweet,  childish 
voice,  "  does  Mordecai,  then,  demand  of  thee  a  tale  of  work, 
that  thou  must  continue  to  labor  while  all  nature  is  going 
to  rest?  See,  the  swallows  are  flying  homeward  to  their 
nests,  and  the  cattle  and  sheep  are  all  folded.  The  doves 
have  gone  to  their  cote  long  since  and  the  bees  no  longer 
hum  about  the  flowers;  the  sun  has  vanished  and  the  moon 
that  lights  us  to  our  beds  shines  in  the  sky.  Put  by  thy 
distaff,  dear,  good  Abihail,  and  rest,  and  listen  to  the  night 
ingales;  already  they  are  beginning  to  sing  in  the  rose  gar 
dens  of  the  palace  yonder.  Ah,  if  only  I  might  walk  in  those 
wondrous  gardens  and  see  the  flowers  and  the  sparkling 
fountains  and  the  beautiful  ladies!  But  I  suppose  I  never 
shall." 

The  old  woman  mumbled  something  under  her  breath, 
and  the  maid  shrugged  her  shoulders  and  turned  again  to  her 
contemplation  of  the  sky  and  the  darkening  plain  and  the 
flitting  swallows.  Above  the  subdued  hum  of  the  city  rose 
a  silver  thread  of  sound,  now  loud,  now  soft,  the  song  of 
many  nightingales  singing  amid  the  rose  thickets  of  Shushan, 
the  palace,  whose  marble  towers  and  columns  glistened  afar 
in  the  white  moonbeams  like  the  airy  structure  of  a  dream. 

"  And  Nathan  has  gone,  too,"  sighed  the  maiden,  speak 
ing  her  thoughts  aloud,  more  to  please  herself  than  the  an 
cient  dame  with  the  spindle.  "  Gone  without  bidding  me 
farewell.  To-day  I  saw  the  legions  of  the  great  king,  thou 
sands  upon  thousands  of  them,  marching  away  across  the 
plain.  There  was  music,  too;  but  I  could  not  hear  it  well 
for  the  clash  of  armor  and  the  ring  of  spears.  Oh,  and  the 
horses!  If  thou  wert  not  so  stupid,  Abihail,  as  to  wish  to 
scour  the  copper  pans  and  jars  all  day  thou  mightest  also 
have  seen  them." 

"  The  pans  must  needs  be  scoured,"  grumbled  the  old 
woman,  "  and  that  whether  the  king  goes  to  war  or  stays 
at  home." 

39 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  Yes,  it  is  true,"  and  the  girl  knit  her  delicate  brows. 
"  We  eat  and  drink,  and  sleep,  and  rise  again ;  and  the  king 
goes  to  war;  and  beautiful  ladies  laugh  and  weep;  and 
the  nightingales  sing — nothing  of  it  matters  to  me,  who  am 
like  a  captive  bird  in  a  cage,  beating  my  wings  against  the 
bars." 

"  Beat  not  thy  wings,  child ;  the  cage  is  but  a  place  of 
safety.  Kings,  ladies,  and  foolish  laughter  are  nothing  to 
thee." 

"  And  yet  sometimes  I  have  strange  fancies  and  dreams, 
Abihail.  To-day  I  know  not  whether  I  slept  or  wakened. 
It  was  the  hot  hour  of  noon,  and  thou  wast  fast  asleep  under 
the  shadow  of  the  vine,  when  I  fancied — or  dreamed — I 
know  not  which — that  I  was  a  great  lady — a  queen,  Abi 
hail." 

"A  foolish  dream,  child;  think  not  of  it;  it  will  bring 
thee  discontent." 

"  But  I  must  think  of  something,  Abihail.  What  else 
may  I  do?  Thou  wilt  not  let  me  scour  the  pans,  nor  even 
draw  the  water,  and  I  cannot  spin  an  even  thread  for  all 
thy  teaching." 

The  old  woman  laughed  harshly. 

"  Nay,  I  would  set  thee  at  the  scouring  fast  enough,  but 
Mordecai  hath  forbidden  it.  He  says  it  is  not  meet  for  the 
daughter  of  kings  to  perform  the  service  of  slaves.  I  am 
not  a  slave;  yet  I  must  needs  do  all  these  things." 

"  When  I  am  a  great  lady,  Abihail,  thou  shalt  scour  no 
more  pans,"  said  the  girl  dreamily.  "  I  will  see  to  it." 

"  Oh,  thou,  thou  art  but  a  foolish  maid  and  very  igno 
rant.  I  cannot  think  what  Mordecai  will  do  with  thee." 

The  girl  trembled  and  drew  her  mantle  closer  about  her. 

"  Mordecai  loves  me,"  she  said  after  a  while ;  but  her 
sweet  voice  shook  and  a  tear  glistened  on  her  dark,  curling 
lashes.  "  And — and  Nathan  loves  me ;  he  has  told  me  so 
many  times;  and  you  love  me;  do  you  not,  Abihail?  But, 

40 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


alas!  there  is  no  one  else  in  all  the  wide,  wide  world.  I 
am  quite,  quite  alone  save  for  you  three;  and — Nathan  has 
gone  away  with  the  soldiers." 

"  He  may  never  come  back,"  croaked  the  old  woman. 
Then  she  got  heavily  to  her  feet,  for  she  had  overmuch 
flesh,  and  crossed  the  roof  to  where  the  girl  had  bowed  her 
head  on  the  parapet.  "  Nay,  my  lamb,  do  not  weep !  Abi- 
hail  will  make  thee  a  sweet  posset  for  thy  supper." 

The  girl's  slight  figure  was  shaken  with  sobs,  for  the 
song  of  the  nightingales  had  grown  of  a  sudden  unbearably 
sweet,  and  the  scent  of  roses  which  swept  by  on  the  evening 
breeze  seemed  laden  with  loneliness. 

"  Come,  come !  "  said  the  old  woman  impatiently.  "  I 
hear  Mordecai  at  the  gate  below,  I  must  go  down  and  let 
him  in,  and  I  would  not  that  he  find  thee  weeping." 

The  girl  obediently  dried  her  innocent  tears,  which,  after 
all,  had  no  deeper  source  than  a  sort  of  infantile  longing  for 
sunshine  and  the  gay  and  glittering  things  of  life,  thus  far 
denied  her. 

"  If  thou  makest  a  sweet  posset,  Abihail,  put  into  it,  I 
pray  thee,  a  spoonful  of  the  rose  conserve;  I  love  roses." 

"  Eh,  roses  and  spices  and  raisins  and  honey ;  I  will  put 
them  all  in,  my  pretty;  but  do  thou  gather  up  my  spinning 
and  fasten  the  thread  as  I  have  taught  thee,  else  thou  shall 
not  taste  my  posset  this  night." 

Mordecai  was  more  silent  than  his  wont  at  the  supper 
to  which  all  three  presently  sat  down  in  the  humble  in 
timacy  of  home.  The  seven-beaked  lamp  of  bronze  which 
hung  from  the  ceiling  of  the  room  where  the  meal  was 
spread  cast  bright  lights  and  flitting  shadows  on  the  charm 
ing  face  of  his  ward,  and  again  and  yet  again  the  deep  eyes 
of  the  scribe  dwelt  thoughtfully  upon  it. 

At  length  he  pushed  back  his  burnished  bowl  in  token 
that  the  meal  was  finished. 

"  Didst  see  the  departure  of  the  armies  of  the  king 
41 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


from  the  roof,  as  I  gave  thee  leave  to-day,  Hadassah  ?  "  he 
asked. 

The  girl  daintily  plucked  the  last  plum  from  her  por 
ridge,  before  she  answered,  with  the  freedom  of  a  petted 
child :  "  Yes,  my  Mordecai ;  it  was  a  grand  sight,  was  it 
not?  I  longed  to  be  nearer.  If  only  Abihail  might  have 
taken  me  to  the  street,  I  could  have  seen  everything  far 
better.  Perhaps  then  I  might  have  waved  farewell  to 
Nathan." 

She  spoke  with  a  careless  serenity  which  did  not  escape 
the  watchful  eye  of  her  guardian. 

"  Did  he  not  bid  thee  farewell  ?  "  he  asked  cautiously. 
"  I  thought  he  came  for  that  express  purpose  two  days 
ago." 

The  girl  looked  at  him  with  her  calm,  bright  eyes;  then 
she  smiled,  showing  the  even  edges  of  her  white  teeth. 

"  Nay,"  she  said,  "  on  that  day  he  would  talk  of  nothing 
save  of  all  the  ways  in  which  he  loves  me.  I  could  not  re 
member  them  all,  and  he  was  teaching  me." 

"  Hah!  A  skilled  teacher,  I  doubt  not;  and  didst  thou 
learn  the  lesson  to  his  liking,  child  ?  " 

"  Nay,  I  could  not ;  he  will  be  forced  to  tell  it  me  many, 
many  times  before  I  have  it  perfect.  But  now  he  has  gone, 
and  I  cannot  see  him  again." 

Large  childish  tears  gathered  in  her  dark  eyes  and 
dropped  unchecked  to  the  soft  oval  of  her  cheek. 

"  And  so  you  grieve  sorely  for  Nathan,  do  you,  little 
one?"  Mordecai's  voice  held  a  carefully  disguised  anxiety. 

"  How  can  I  help  it,  Mordecai,  when  I  shall  be  so  dull 
now  that  he  has  gone.  Besides,  he  promised  to  bring  me 
jewels  of  gold  to  wear  in  my  ears  and  golden  bracelets  for 
my  arms ;  he  said  he  would  ask  thee  if  I  might  have  them  at 
his  hands;  but  he  did  not  bring  them  after  all.  I  should 
so  like  to  wear  a  bracelet.  I  never  had  one." 

The  scribe's  thoughtful  face  cleared,  and  he  smiled  and 
42 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


sighed  as  if  some  unseen  burden  had  been  lifted  from  his 
spirit. 

"  Wouldst  thou  like  a  bracelet  of  my  giving  as  well  as 
if  Nathan  clasped  it  on  thy  arm  ?  "  he  asked  gently. 

"  Yes,  oh,  yes!  wilt  thou  give  me  a  bracelet,  dear  Mor- 
decai?" 

Mordecai  arose  and  crossing  the  room  unlocked  the 
great,  brass-bound  cabinet  of  dark,  ancient  wood,  which 
stood  in  one  corner. 

"  Come  hither,  maiden,  and  I  will  show  thee  thy  dowry, 
which  thou  hadst  from  thy  mother,  who  was  a  princess  of 
the  house  of  Jehoiakim,"  he  said,  groaning  within  himself  as 
the  glittering  key  turned  in  the  lock. 

Hadassah  stood  breathless  and  with  clasped  hands  of 
wonder,  while  her  guardian  drew  forth  rich  robes  broidered 
with  seed  pearls  and  thread  of  gold ;  veils  of  tissue,  blue  and 
white;  delicate  tunics  of  many  colors,  and  wonderful  under 
garments  rich  with  needlework. 

"Are  they  mine — all  these  beautiful  things?"  she  cried. 
"  Oh,  Abihail,  do  come  and  see  what  Mordecai  is  showing 
me!" 

"  I  have  seen  them  many  times,  child,"  said  the  old 
woman,  turning  her  back  to  conceal  her  emotion.  Morde 
cai  had  spoken  a  word  to  her  on  his  entering  the  house 
that  night  which  had  set  her  old  heart  to  beating  with 
fear  of  what  the  future  might  have  in  store  for  her 
nursling. 

"Thou  hast  seen  them — and  not  told  me?"  echoed  the 
girl  wonderingly.  "  Nay,  but  thou  didst  tell  me  that  the 
cabinet  contained  the  scrolls  of  the  prophets  only  and  dry 
and  dusty  parchments,  and  that  I  would  not  care  to  see 
them.  But,  look !  Ah,  how  beautiful !  For  me  ?  For  me, 
Mordecai  ?  " 

For  the  scribe,  still  sighing  and  murmuring  to  himself 
in  the  midst  of  his  great  beard,  had  opened  divers  caskets 
4  43 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


which  lay  stored  in  the  deep  recesses  of  the  locked  cabinet; 
these  revealed  bracelets  and  anklets  of  wrought  gold — the 
red  gold  of  Egypt,  ropes  of  pearls,  rings  and  earrings  of 
strange  jewels,  which  glittered  red  and  white  and  blue  in 
the  wavering  light  of  the  lamp  like  living  fires. 

"  All  these  are  thine,  maiden,  and  more.  Put  them  on 
her  Abihail.  I  would  fain  look  upon  a  princess  of  Israel 
once  more." 

And  Abihail,  who  in  former  years  had  been  a  skilled 
tire-woman  in  the  service  of  Tamar,  mother  of  Hadassah, 
robed  the  girl  in  the  splendid  garments  of  her  rank.  About 
her  neck  she  wound  the  long  strands  of  pearls  and  in  the 
tresses  of  her  dark  hair,  and  above  all  she  cast  a  veil  of  silken 
tissue,  out  of  which  the  girl's  exquisite  cheek  and  neck 
glowed  with  the  satin  sheen  of  half-blown  roses,  milk-white 
and  dewy  in  the  dawn  of  an  Eastern  morn.  Upon  her 
rounded  arms  gleamed  gemmed  bracelets  and  the  slender 
ankles  twinkled  with  gems,  also.  As  she  stood  thus,  half 
ashamed  in  the  splendor  of  her  young  beauty,  there  came  a 
thundering  knock  upon  the  gate  of  the  courtyard. 

"  Stand  still  as  thou  art,  maiden,  till  I  return,"  com 
manded  Mordecai,  as  the  girl  started  in  fright.  "  And  do 
thou,  Abihail,  choose  a  mantle  which  shall  cover  the  maid 
securely. 

He  strode  away  to  the  gate  and  the  two  women  heard 
his  voice  speaking  to  some  one  in  the  street  without.  When 
he  returned  he  stood  for  an  instant  gazing  at  the  exquisite 
picture  of  the  maid  in  all  the  alien  magnificence  of  her  garb 
— gazed,  and  dashed  his  hand  across  his  eyes,  as  if  to  banish 
therefrom  a  different  picture. 

"  I  have  something  to  tell  thee,  child ;  something  I  long, 
yet  dread,  to  say.  I  believe  it  is  for  the  best — for  the  best 
— not  only  for  thee  and  me,  but  also — for — our — people." 

The  words  seemed  to  be  forced  from  him,  each  word  a 
separate  groan.  His  face  was  drawn  and  ghastly  as  if  with 

44 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


mortal  agony.  The  girl  flew  to  his  side  regardless  now  of 
her  rich  robes  and  ornaments. 

"Oh,  Mordecai!  What  ails  thee?  Art  thou  ill?  Art 
thou  afraid  ?  What,  what  is  it  ?  " 

"  Nay,  I  am  not  ill.  It — is — nothing.  I  have  nurtured 
thee  and  brought  thee  up  from  a  child.  I  have  shown  thee 
no  unkindness ;  have  I,  maiden  ?  " 

"  Nay,  nay,  Mordecai ;  but  thou  art  ill !  " 

"  I  have  loved  thee  as  my  own  flesh  and  blood.  I  have 
not  spared  myself  in  thy  service  night  or  day.  I  have  kept 
the  vow  I  made  to  thy  father.  To  thy  mother  also  I  swore 
it  that  I  would  care  for  thee  with  my  life,  and  with  my  life's 
blood  protect  thee  from  all  evil.  Have  I  kept  my  vow, 
Hadassah?" 

"  Yes,  oh,  yes,  Mordecai !  Thou  hast  been  to  me  father 
and  mother  and  friend  and  lover — all,  all  I  have  found  in 
thee!" 

"  Then  listen.  I  must  go  to  the  palace  to  live  henceforth. 
My  duty  to  the  king  demands  it.  I  have  a  new  office  there. 
I  cannot  leave  thee  here  alone.  Thou  also — must — go — to 
the  palace.  God  of  Abraham,  thou  knowest  I  have  been 
forced  to  it ;  almost  against  my  will !  If  thou  art  leading  us, 
I  pray  thee  grant  me  some  token  of  thy  good  pleasure!  It 
is  not  for  my  glory — nor  for  her  alone — that  I  am  doing 
this  thing,  which  appears  altogether  hateful  in  my  eyes,  but 
for — thy — people,  Jehovah — thy  captive  people,  in  danger — 
in  peril — thou  alone  knowest  the  perils  which  even  now 
overshadow  us!  " 

In  the  silence  which  followed  a  single  peal  as  of  distant 
thunder  reverberated  through  the  heavens  from  end  to  end. 
A  majestic  sound,  slow,  mighty,  godlike.  Mordecai  dropped 
his  head;  his  blanched  features  relaxed  into  their  wonted 
expression  of  dignified  serenity. 

"  It  is  spoken,"  he  said  in  a  deep,  calm  voice.  "  Already 
the  litters  wait  without.  Do  thou,  Abihail,  accompany  thy 

45 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


princess,  that  she  feel  not  overstrange  in  a  strange  place. 
And  now  attend  me,  Hadassah;  to  no  one  reveal  thy  birth, 
or  the  circumstance  of  thy  nativity.  Thou  wilt  receive  a 
new  name.  Be  known  only  by  that  name  in  future.  Tell 
to  no  one  thy  kinship  to  me.  I  shall  be  near  thee.  Thou 
canst  communicate  with  me  by  a  sure  means,  which  I  will 
provide.  On  thine  obedience  hangs  thy  life,  thy  fate,  and 
mine.  Dost  thou  understand  me?" 

"  I — understand.  But,  oh,  Mordecai,  where  am  I  going? 
and  why ?  " 

"  To  the  palace,  child.  There  thou  wilt  be  received  and 
cared  for  with  all  honor.  Do  not  fear;  only  obey  me." 

«  I_will—obey!  " 


VI 


ANY  months  had  elapsed  since  the  depart 
ure  of  Xerxes  with  his  mighty  hosts,  and 
though  at  uncertain  intervals  swift  couriers 
sent  out  by  the  queen  had  returned  to  the 
court  bearing  brief  official  reports  of  the 
welfare  of  the  king  and  his  armies,  there 
had  been  no  satisfactory  news.  Amestris,  the  disgraced  con 
sort  of  the  king,  reestablished  in  what  appeared  more  than 
her  former  magnificence,  had  sunken  at  last  into  a  state  of 
fretful  apathy  from  which  her  attendants  strove  in  vain  to 
rouse  her. 

"  My  husband  has  cast  me  off,"  she  moaned,  "  and  my 
sons  are  also  snatched  from  my  arms.  Why,  then,  should  I 
live  longer?  " 

It  was  her  daughter  Amytis  who  supplied  a  reason,  when 
at  length  the  girl  had  grown  weary  of  the  continual  com 
plaints  and  futile  grief  of  the  queen.  The  two  were  seated 
in  the  garden  one  day,  the  girl  busy  with  the  embroidery 
which  she  had  learned  from  one  of  her  slaves,  and  with 

47 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


which  she  saw  fit  to  employ  herself  during  the  interminable 
hours  of  the  long,  idle  days. 

"  You  should  live,  gracious  queen  and  mother,"  said  the 
young  princess,  with  a  chilling  hauteur  of  manner  which 
reminded  her  unhappy  mother  of  the  girl's  kinship  to  Atossa, 
"  you  should  continue  to  exist  in  order  that  you  may  avenge 
yourself  upon  your  enemies." 

And  the  careless  words  of  the  girl  at  once  took  root  in 
the  shallow  nature  of  Amestris,  and  in  process  of  time, 
watered  by  her  secret  tears  and  nurtured  by  her  apprehen 
sions,  they  flourished  and  grew  into  monstrous  proportions. 

But  in  these  early  days  of  her  quasi-widowhood  the  queen 
loved  best  to  babble  unceasingly  of  her  husband;  of  his 
strength;  of  his  great  stature;  of  his  beauty;  of  the  vastness 
and  glory  of  his  kingdom.  And  she  longed  to  hear  more 
particularly  of  how  he  fared  on  his  journey,  the  hardships 
of  which  she  magnified  out  of  all  due  relation  to  facts.  And 
when  at  last  Artaxerxes,  the  youngest  of  her  three  sons, 
was  brought  back  to  her  from  the  front,  ill  with  some  child 
ish  complaint,  she  received  him  with  hungry  arms. 

The  boy  was  sullen,  and  at  first  could  hardly  be  brought 
to  tell  much  of  the  great  sights  he  had  seen  along  the 
route. 

"  I  was  not  sick,"  he  burst  out,  "  only  my  brothers  would 
have  it  so.  Darius  and  Hystaspes  were  most  unkind ;  and 
when  they  found  that  I  had  a  redness  of  the  face  and  eyes — 
truly  it  was  nothing  more  than  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  I 
said  so — they  would  not  listen;  but  reported  the  matter  to 
our  father,  and  he  sent  Zethar,  the  physician,  to  me.  And 
Zethar — may  he  perish  of  the  plague — would  not  listen  to 
me  when  I  told  him  I  was  not  sick,  but  gave  orders  to  have 
me  put  into  a  litter  forthwith,  like  a  woman,  and  fetched 
back  to  the  palace.  Had  it  not  been  for  Nathan,  the  captain 
of  the  guard,  who  came  with  me,  I  should  have  died  with 
anger.  But  he  amused  me  with  many  wondrous  stories  of 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


that  strange  city  of  the  Hebrews,  Jerusalem,  and  so  I  did 
not  die  on  the  journey;  but  lived,  as  you  see." 

Amestris  clasped  and  kissed  her  son,  who,  indeed,  was 
little  more  than  a  child,  though  at  twelve  years  he  thought 
himself  a  man,  and  carried  the  short  sword  of  a  Persian 
general  and  gave  himself  the  stern  airs  of  a  warrior,  as  be 
came  a  prince  and  the  son  of  a  great  king.  And  when  he 
had  been  fed  with  dainties  and  appeased  with  comfits,  such 
as  children  love,  he  gave  orders  that  Nathan,  the  captain 
of  the  guard,  be  sent  for. 

He  will  tell  you  of  the  king,  my  father,  better  than  I 
can;  and  of  the  sailing  match  and  other  matters;  and  I  will 
listen  and  say  if  he  speaks  the  truth." 

And  the  young  despot  made  himself  vastly  comfortable 
with  many  soft  cushions  at  the  feet  of  his  sister  Amytis. 

The  royal  guardsman  did  not  at  once  obey  the  summons 
of  the  young  prince,  who  had  been  his  charge  during  the 
days  of  the  homeward  journey;  and  this  for  the  reason  that 
he  could  not  be  found,  either  in  the  palace  or  the  fortress, 
where  the  chamberlains  of  the  queen  sought  him.  He  had 
gone  at  once,  armed  and  spurred  as  he  was,  to  see  how 
Hadassah  had  fared  during  the  months  of  his  absence.  He 
had  been  ordered  to  rejoin  the  army  after  delivering  the 
young  prince  to  his  mother,  and  he  was  prepared  to  obey 
on  the  morrow;  but  now  he  stood  without  the  closed  door 
of  the  courtyard  and  knocked  upon  it  with  the  hilt  of  his 
sword,  picturing  to  himself  the  pleased  surprise  of  the 
maiden,  and  her  joy  at  sight  of  the  rich  linked  chain  of 
Etruscan  workmanship  which  he  had  found  in  a  little  gold 
smith's  shop  in  Abydos,  where  the  armies  had  halted  to  be 
reviewed,  and  where  it  chanced  the  boy  Artaxerxes  had 
fallen  ill  of  the  red  fever.  He  had  determined  to  give  the 
chain  to  Hadassah  without  asking  leave  of  Mordecai;  and 
he  knocked  again,  loudly  and  impatiently,  looking  up  to  the 

49 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


roof  where  the  pigeons  cooed  and  rustled  their  silvery  wings 
as  of  yore. 

After  a  long  silence  steps  from  within  sounded  on  the 
flags,  and  the  little  window  high  up  in  the  stout  oaken  door 
opened  a  cautious  hand's  breadth. 

"  Who  demands  entrance  to  this  house  ?  "  asked  a  croak 
ing  voice,  and  the  wrinkled  face  of  an  old  man  appeared  pres 
ently  at  the  aperture,  winking  and  blinking  in  the  broad 
light  of  the  afternoon,  which  streamed  into  the  deserted 
street. 

"  It  is  I,  Nathan,  son  of  Asa.     Open  and  let  me  in. 

"  Not  so,  soldier.  I  have  orders  to  admit  no  one," 
croaked  the  voice  behind  the  wagging  beard,  "  and  wert 
thou  thrice  the  son  of  Asa,  and  the  grandson  of  Abiathar,  to 
boot,  I  would  not  open." 

"  I  will  come  in,  I  tell  you! " 

"And  wherefore?  There  is  no  one  here  except  me. 
Have  you  business  with  me,  my  young  sir?  or — hold,  you 
wear  the  liveries  of  the  king;  perhaps  you  have  spoils,  ill- 
gotten,  it  may  be,  to  dispose  of.  You  need  not  be  afraid  to 
tell  me,  though  Mordecai — may  his  shadow  increase — 
would  punish  me  with  his  staff,  if  he  knew.  Hist!  and  I 
will  speak  with  thee  further  after  yonder  mule-driver  has 
passed." 

The  young  prince  had  grown  pale  under  all  his  tan. 

"  Tell  me,"  he  said  hoarsely,  "  is  not  the  maiden,  Ha- 
dassah,  the  kinswoman  of  Mordecai,  within?  I  would  speak 
with  her." 

"  Hadassah — Hadassah  ?  "  repeated  the  voice  of  the  an 
cient  one  with  a  cackling  laugh.  "  Nay,  I  know  no  maiden 
by  that  name.  I  am  alone  here.  I  keep  the  house  against 
intruders,  as  you  see." 

"Then  where  has  she  gone?  Tell  me  instantly,  or  I 
tear  down  the  gate." 

"  You  will  tear  down  the  gate,  eh  ?  And  how  will  you 
50 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


go  about  it?  Let  me  tell  you  it  is  thrice  barred  and  locked 
against  all  such  as  you;  and,  moreover,  I  have  here  a  jar  of 
hot  oil,  which  I  will  presently  cast  forth  upon  your  head, 
if  you  do  not  go  hence." 

"  Are  you  indifferent  to  the  glitter  of  gold,  Jew,"  asked 
Nathan  contemptuously,  holding  up  a  broad  piece  between 
his  thumb  and  forefinger.  "  Nay,  all  my  captive  brethren 
love  the  glitter  of  a  Persian  daric,  even  as  I  despise  it.  Here, 
take  it,  and  tell  me  what  has  become  of  the  household  of 
Mordecai." 

The  porter  cautiously  reached  down  and  snatched  the 
piece  of  money,  bit  it,  then  rang  it  against  the  metal  hasp 
of  the  door. 

"  Oh — ay;  'tis  good  gold;  and  why  not  love  it,  since  it 
buys  for  us  all  that  makes  life  worth  living?  If  you  love 
not  gold,  soldier,  you  are  a  fool.  I,  Chazeba,  have  said  it. 
As  for  the  household  of  Mordecai,  the  king's  scribe,  I  know 
not  of  it.  He  hired  me  to  keep  his  house  for  so  much.  I 
keep  it.  And  that  is  all  I  know." 

"  Where  is  Mordecai,  then  ?  " 

The  old  man  thrust  out  his  wrinkled  lips. 

"  Nay,  how  should  I  know;  yet  even  for  another  daric 
I  might " 

"  Take  it  and  tell  me,  vulture,"  ordered  Nathan,  who 
was  growing  sick  at  heart  with  a  formless,  nameless  fear  he 
could  not  master." 

"  Me  ?  I  am  no  vulture,"  chuckled  the  warder,  biting 
and  rubbing  the  second  piece  with  senile  glee.  "  Does  a  vul 
ture  love  gold,  as  I  do?  Can  a  vulture  answer  thy  ques 
tions?  And  third,  I  will  ask  thee,  is  it  meet  to  call  a  He 
brew  by  the  name  of  an  unclean  bird  ?  " 

"  Nay,  it  is  not.  I  did  wrong ;  but  if  you  can  tell  me 
where  Mordecai  is,  tell  me,  and  I  will  go  away." 

"  Well,  then,  since  you  have  found  your  manners,  sol 
dier,  I  will  tell  thee  that  Mordecai  dwells  at  the  palace  in 

51 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


these  days.     Anyone  there  can  tell  you  where  he  is  to  be 
found." 

And  this  is  how  it  chanced  that  the  queen's  chamberlain, 
who  had  been  sent  to  fetch  Nathan,  came  upon  the  object 
of  his  search  just  as  the  guardsman  was  inquiring  for  the 
scribe;  for  he  had  determined  in  his  heart  to  demand  a 
straight  answer  from  Mordecai,  though  he  feared  to  ask  it. 

And  this  also  explains  the  presence  of  Nathan — outwardly 
calm  and  courteous,  though  in  his  heart  he  was  raging  with 
impatience — in  the  closed  garden  of  Amestris.  There  were 
present,  disposed  upon  a  half  circle  of  marble  benches  piled 
with  silken  cushions,  the  queen,  Amestris;  her  daughter,  the 
Princess  Amytis;  and  the  young  prince,  Artaxerxes — too  in 
dolent,  or  too  ignorant  to  answer  all  the  questions  of  his 
mother,  and  the  half  dozen  ladies  in  attendance,  wives  and 
daughters  of  nobles  who  had  gone  with  their  king  to  war. 
All  the  women  were  in  a  delighted  flutter  of  excitement 
over  the  advent  of  the  handsome  young  officer  who  could 
tell  them  all  they  would  know. 

"  Speak  first  of  the  great  king,"  began  Amestris;  "  is  he 
well,  and  does  he  often  talk  of  me  ?  " 

"  The  King's  Majesty  is  in  excellent  health,"  returned 
Nathan ;  "  but  would  the  imperial  Xerxes  condescend  to 
speak  to  one  of  his  servants  respecting  his  queen?  Nay, 
rather  in  his  own  heart  would  he  commune  of  what  is  sacred 
to  himself  alone." 

"  Very  pretty,  worthy  of  a  poet  rather  than  a  soldier," 
commented  Amestris;  "  but  I  see  the  king  has  not  spoken  of 
me;  yet  it  is  true  that  out  from  the  full  heart  some  words 
must  needs  fall,  like  drops  from  a  brimming  goblet.  Per 
chance  he  thinks  no  more  of  me,  but  rather  of  the  maidens 
who  are  already  gathering  at  Shushan  for  his  choice.  Alas, 
that  I  should  live  to  see  the  day!  " 

"Mother!"  whispered  Amytis,  flushing  with  shame  as 
52 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


she  perceived  the  smiles  that  flitted  over  the  faces  of  the 
court  ladies,  "  ask  him  rather  of  the  army,  of  the  contest  of 
ships,  of  the  march.  'Tis  of  these  matters  we  would  hear." 

"  I  saw  the  sailing  myself,"  put  in  the  young  prince,  in 
his  loud,  boyish  voice;  "and  the  Phoenicians  of  Sidon  beat, 
in  spite  of  the  fellows  from  Tyre,  who  had  the  greater  sails." 

"  That  is  true,  Prince,"  said  Nathan  quietly,  and  added 
a  graphic  picture  of  the  great  spectacle  at  Abydos,  where 
Xerxes  sat  with  his  captains  and  princes  on  the  apex  of  a 
little  hill  and  reviewed  the  allied  armies  of  the  forty-nine 
nations.  Before  him,  covering  the  earth  like  grasshoppers 
for  number,  lay  the  encamped  armies,  stretching  from  the 
hills  to  the  sea.  On  the  left  were  the  blue  waters  of  the 
iEgean  white  with  the  sails  of  thousands  of  ships,  while 
between,  "  like  a  yoke  placed  upon  the  neck  of  a  captive, 
the  long  double  line  of  his  bridges  lay  darkling  upon  the 
sea." 

Of  the  wonderful  bridge  he  told  how  at  first  the  angry 
sea  had  broken  it,  and  cast  the  boats  which  formed  its  foun 
dation  high  upon  the  shore ;  and  of  how  the  imperial  Xerxes, 
in  his  wrath,  had  caused  the  daring  sea  to  be  scourged  in  his 
presence  with  many  scourges  in  the  hands  of  stout  slaves. 

"  And  did  the  sea  become  obedient  to  the  will  of  the 
king,  guardsman  ?  "  inquired  the  Princess  Amytis,  with  a  mis 
chievous  twist  of  her  scarlet  lips. 

"  The  bridge  was  at  once  rebuilt,  gracious  princess,"  re 
plied  Nathan,  with  a  low  bow,  "  and  when  I  saw  it  last 
the  ^Egean  had  not  again  prevailed  against  it." 

"  Do  you  think,  then,  that  my  father  is  able  to  make 
the  sea  and  the  earth  and  the  winds  obey  his  will  ?  "  asked 
the  girl,  fixing  her  deep  blue  eyes  on  the  handsome  man  who 
wore  the  imperial  armor. 

"  Do  you  doubt  the  authority  and  power  of  the  divine 
one,  child  of  Xerxes,  that  you  should  ask  such  a  question  ?  " 
demanded  Amestris  chidingly. 

53 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


The  girl  cast  a  glance  full  of  laughing  malice  at  her 
mother. 

"  Nay,  my  queen  and  mother,  I  meant  no  disrespect  to 
my  father;  I  asked  the  question  of  the  guardsman,  whose 
name  I  know  not.  What  is  your  name,  soldier  of  Xerxes?  " 

"  My  name  is  Nathan,"  replied  the  prince,  knitting  his 
black  brows.  "  I  am  a  captive  of  the  Hebrew  race,"  he 
added,  with  the  pride  of  one  announcing  his  lofty  rank. 

"  A  captive,  and  a  Hebrew  ?  "  echoed  Amytis. — "  Nay, 
my  mother,  but  I  will  speak  to  the  man.  I  find  it  amusing." 

"  Nathan  is  a  prince,"  put  in  Artaxerxes,  between  mouth- 
fuls  of  the  fig  paste  with  which  he  was  gorging  himself. 
"  He  is  of  royal  birth,  though  he  is  but  a  Jew.  I  like  him  be 
cause  he  amuses  me.  When  I  am  the  great  king  I  shall 
have  him  for  my  armor-bearer." 

"  Hush,  foolish  boy,  you  will  never  be  king,"  said 
Amestris,  wringing  her  hands  over  a  speech  which,  she 
thought,  presaged  ill-fortune  for  her  eldest  born. 

"  Yes,  I  will  be  king.  It  is  written,  and  no  one  can 
prevent  it,"  persisted  the  boy,  and  cackled  with  vainglorious 
laughter  to  see  his  mother  turn  her  eyes  toward  the  distant 
shrine  of  Auramazda  with  a  muttered  prayer. 

"  It  has  not  pleased  Nathan,  prince  of  the  Hebrews,  to 
answer  my  former  question,"  put  in  Amytis,  openly  scornful 
of  the  foolish  boy  and  his  yet  more  foolish  mother. 

"  The  question  concerned  the  divinity  of  the  great  king," 
said  Nathan  coolly,  "  and  I  cannot  answer  it,  princess." 

"  Nay,  '  will  not '  is  what  you  mean." 

"  As  you  will,  gracious  princess." 

"  I  believe  my  father  is  a  man ;  and  no  man,  even  though 
he  be  lord  of  the  whole  earth,  can  compel  the  winds  and 
the  sea  to  obey  him.  I  should  have  laughed  aloud  had  I  been 
there  to  see  the  slaves  scourging  the  wild  /Egean." 

"Amytis!"  cried  the  queen,  lifting  her  delicate  hands 
in  horror,  "what  is  it  that  you  are  saying?" 

54 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


"  The  truth,  for  once,"  said  the  girl,  her  lips  curling 
scornfully.  "  I  am  not  surprised  that  you  wonder  at  it. 
It  is  not  fashionable  at  Shushan  to  be  truthful." 

She  lifted  her  blue  eyes  to  meet  the  gaze  of  the  royal 
guardsman  fixed  full  upon  her.  Her  own  glance  wavered 
and  sank  and  a  rosy  color  flashed  into  her  young  face. 

"  Tell  us  of  the  passage  of  the  bridge,"  she  said  hastily. 

"  I  left  Abydos  with  the  prince  on  the  fifth  day,"  said 
Nathan,  "  and  the  hosts  were  still  crossing,  the  laggards 
urged  forward  under  the  lash. 

"  On  the  first  day  '  The  Immortals,'  the  guard  of  the 
great  king  wherein  no  vacancy  can  ever  exist,  crossed;  they 
wore  garlands  on  their  helmets  and  their  swords  were 
wreathed  with  myrtle.  Just  before  they  set  foot  on  the 
structure,  the  sea,  which  had  previously  been  scourged  at  the 
command  of  Xerxes,  was  appeased  by  a  libation.  The  priests 
cast  a  golden  bowl,  a  golden  goblet,  and  a  sword  into  the 
water,  praying  aloud  to  Mithra  for  the  conquest  of  the  king's 
enemies." 

"May  Mithra  and  all  the  gods  graciously  grant  it!" 
exclaimed  the  queen  piously.  "  Tell  me  of  the  king's  pas 
sage." 

"  The  king,  borne  in  the  sacred  chariot  and  drawn  by 
seven  white  horses  of  Arabia,  passed  over  on  the  second  day, 
amid  clouds  of  incense  and  the  acclamations  of  the  people. 

"  Did  you  see  his  face  ?  " 

"  I  saw  not  his  face,  gracious  queen,  because  of  the  in 
cense,  and  also  because,  having  been  already  detailed  to  fetch 
home  the  sick  prince,  I  was  stationed  with  my  troop  at  some 
distance  from  the  bridge." 

"  Alas !  I  would  you  had  seen  it,"  sighed  Amestris,  shak 
ing  her  head.  "  I  fear  me  the  king,  my  husband,  is  not 
full  fleshed  in  these  days.  There  can  be  nothing  fit  to  eat 
in  a  camp." 

The  blue  eyes  of  the  princess  flashed  with  vexation. 
55 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  Let  the  soldier  go  his  way,"  she  said  hastily.  "  There 
can  be  nothing  more  of  interest.  Go!"  she  said  sharply, 
turning  to  Nathan,  who,  impatient  to  be  gone,  yet  waited 
for  the  queen's  permission  to  withdraw. 

"  You  are  most  unceremonious,  Amytis,"  complained  the 
queen,  with  a  querulous  sigh.  "  But  I  suppose  I  must  ex 
pect  to  be  set  aside  from  henceforth  even  by  my  children." 

She  lifted  her  hand  languidly  in  token  that  the  audience 
was  finished,  and  Nathan  passed  out  into  the  great  corridor. 

This  ran  lengthwise  through  the  palace  of  the  women,  as 
it  was  called,  opening  at  intervals  upon  various  apartments, 
each  of  which  boasted  its  private  bath,  gardens,  and  quar 
ters  for  attendants.  Nathan  had  never  been  in  this  part 
of  the  palace  before,  and  he  walked  along,  his  mailed  heels 
ringing  on  the  pavement,  scarce  knowing  in  which  direction 
to  go.  There  were  numbers  of  slaves  squatted  on  their 
heels  before  heavily  curtained  doors,  but  no  one  spoke  to  the 
guardsman,  though  more  than  one  pair  of  dark  eyes  followed 
his  martial  presence  with  amazed  curiosity. 

As  he  paused  in  some  uncertainty  at  an  intersection  of 
two  broad  corridors,  where  a  flower-encircled  fountain  cast 
its  glittering  spray  high  in  air,  he  came  upon  a  veiled  figure, 
which  stopped  short  at  sight  of  him,  scrutinized  him  through 
an  aperture  in  the  mantle,  then  gave  vent  to  a  muffled  cry 
of  amazement. 

"  Nathan ! — or  hath  Jehovah  shown  me  a  vision  ?  "  mur 
mured  a  low  voice  in  the  Hebrew  tongue. 

The  woman  had  dropped  the  shrouding  mantle  from  her 
face,  and  the  attendant  of  Hadassah  stood  revealed  before 
him. 

"  Abihail !  "  he  exclaimed.  Then  as  his  mind  seized 
upon  the  meaning  of  her  presence,  he  seized  the  woman  by 
the  arm.  "  Nay,  you  shall  not  leave  me  thus,"  for  the 
Jewess,  with  every  appearance  of  terror,  was  hurrying  away 
from  him  as  rapidly  as  her  impeding  garments  would  allow. 

56 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  Hist!  "  she  exclaimed,  "  do  not  speak  above  a  whisper. 
The  very  walls  have  ears  in  this  place.  What  are  you  doing 
here?  Do  you  not  know  that  it  is  death  for  any  man  save 
the  king  to  set  foot  within  these  halls  ?  " 

"  Nay,  good  Abihail,  there  are  many  men  about,"  Na 
than  said  soothingly.  "  I  have  just  come  from  an  audience 
with  the  queen,  and  no  one  told  me  where  I  might  not 
walk." 

He  stooped  over  the  woman,  who  struggled  weakly  in 
his  grasp. 

"  Where  is  Hadassah  ?  "  he  demanded. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  mumbled  Abihail. 

"  You  are  telling  me  a  lie,  woman.  Where  is  Hadassah, 
the  kinswoman  of  Mordecai?  Answer  me!  " 

"  Jehovah  help  me,  what  shall  I  do  ?  But  do  not  breathe 
that  name !  She  is  known  here  as  Esther." 

"  As  Esther!    God  in  heaven !  " 

"  No  one  knows  her  Jewish  origin.  Mordecai  would 
kill  me  if  he  knew  I  had  told  you  of  her  presence  here. 
Let  me  go,  I  entreat  you,  before  the  slave  yonder  sees  me 
talking  with  you !  " 

"Here,  hide  behind  these  vines  and  plants — so!"  and 
Nathan  pulled  the  woman  roughly  into  a  deep  recess  in  the 
wall  shielded  from  general  view  by  masses  of  foliage.  "  Ha 
dassah  is  here,  you  say.  Why  ?  " 

"  Do  you  not  know?  " 

"  How  could  I  know  when  I  have  but  yesterday  re 
turned  from  Greece?  I  go  back  to-morrow.  Tell  me  in 
stantly  of  Hadassah." 

"  I  cannot.  Indeed,  I  do  not  altogether  understand," 
gasped  the  old  woman,  peering  fearfully  out  from  between 
the  thick  foliage  and  clustering  blossoms  of  a  great  rose 
tree.  "  I  only  know  that  Mordecai  caused  us  to  be  fetched 
to  this  place  one  night  many  moons — I  know  not  how  many 
— ago,  and  she — Esther,  I  must  call  her  so — was  re- 

57 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


ceived  like  a  princess.  She  has  magnificent  apartments,  gar 
dens,  slaves,  a  banquet  every  day.  Nay,  she  is  like  a  queen  ; 
but  she  loves  me  still.  Though  I  am  old  and  ugly  she  makes 
of  me  a  favorite.  No  other  is  allowed  to  attend  her  in  her 
bath;  no  other —  But  how  am  I  babbling  who  am  sworn 
to  silence  and  secrecy.  Let  me  go,  Nathan.  I  can  say  no 
more." 

The  young  prince  was  staring  into  space  with  terrible, 
unseeing  eyes;  but  he  still  kept  fast  hold  of  the  woman's 
mantle. 

"  Does — any  man — does  Mordecai — see  her?  "  he  asked 
in  a  dry  whisper. 

"  No  man,  not  even  Mordecai,  hath  seen  the  maid  since 
her  coming.  Hege,  indeed,  comes  ever  and  anon  to  ask  after 
the  gracious  princess,  as  he  is  pleased  to  call  my  pretty  one; 
but  Hege  is  no  man,"  and  the  old  woman  cackled  in  de 
rision.  "  I  am  afraid  of  him  though,  and  of  the  others ; 
they  are  like  weasels,  cunning  and  bloodthirsty.  They 
would  choke  out  my  old  breath  with  a  bowstring  if 
they  caught  me  here.  Let  me  go,  Nathan — dear,  good 
Nathan!" 

"  I  will  let  you  go,  woman ;  but  not  now,  lest  yonder  gay 
dragon  pounce  upon  you." 

The  old  Jewess  squeaked  like  a  rat  and  flattened  herself 
against  the  wall. 

'  'Tis  Hege !  "  she  whispered.  "  If  he  finds  us  here,  we 
are  both  lost !  " 

The  tall  broad  figure  of  a  man  had  appeared  at  the 
farther  end  of  the  corridor,  and  the  slave  girls  squatted  at 
all  the  curtained  doorways  scrambled  to  their  feet  to  do  him 
obeisance  as  he  passed  in  his  leisurely  progress.  He  wore  a 
scarlet  tunic  and  cap,  and  a  rich  jeweled  chain  of  office  de 
pended  from  about  his  neck. 

"Alas!  that  I  saw  you,"  whispered  the  woman.  "He 
will  instantly  detect  the  glitter  of  your  armor,  and  I  shall 

58 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


be  forced  to  see  you  slain  where  you  stand.  Let  me  go, 
Nathan.  I,  at  least,  can  escape.  If  I  am  seen  here  with  you 
it  will  ruin  her,  monster  and  ingrate  that  you  are !  " 

Nathan  groaned  aloud;  but  he  at  once  relaxed  his  hold 
upon  Abihail's  garment,  and  the  woman  glided  swiftly  away 
like  a  shadow  and  disappeared. 

The  squat  scarlet  figure  of  the  chief  chamberlain  had 
approached  the  fountain  by  this  time.  Nathan  could  see  his 
broad,  flat  face,  and  keen  eyes  distinctly,  as  he  advanced 
with  short,  mincing  steps  along  the  rich,  many-colored  car 
pets  which  overlaid  the  slippery  marble  of  the  vast  corridor. 

Knowing  an  attempt  at  concealment  to  be  quite  futile 
before  the  sharp  glances  that  darted  hither  and  yon  like 
sword  thrusts,  Nathan  stepped  boldly  out,  and  stood  in  the 
full  glitter  of  the  sunshine. 

Hege  stopped  short. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here?  "  he  asked  in  a  strange,  life 
less  voice,  his  colorless  eyes  deliberately  taking  in  the  details 
of  the  guardsman's  uniform.  "  You  are  a  soldier — a  de 
serter  from  the  army,  perhaps." 

"  I  have  lost  my  way,"  said  Nathan,  disdaining  the  in 
sinuation  of  the  eunuch's  last  words.  He  dropped  his  hand 
to  the  hilt  of  his  short  sword.  I  have  but  just  come  from 
an  audience  with  the  Queen's  Majesty,  and  no  man  told  me 
in  which  direction  to  walk." 

The  official's  large,  pallid  face  was  distorted  with  an 
ugly  frown,  as  he  answered :  "  There  is  no  queen,  save 
Atossa,  the  gracious  mother  of  Xerxes.  And  you  are 
lying,  for  she  has  received  no  one  to-day.  You  have  come 
here  to  see  some  woman.  Who  is  it  ?  " 

"  I  have  spoken  the  truth.  Upon  the  king's  sword  which 
I  bear,  I  swear  it.  I  came  from  Abydos  yesterday  with  an 
escort  of  cavalry  to  fetch  the  prince,  Artaxerxes.  To-day, 
at  the  express  command  of  her  who  is  still  called  queen  by 
those  who  honor  the  king's  wishes,  I  related  certain  matters 
5  59 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


concerning  the  army  before  the  gracious  Amestris,  the  prince, 
the  princess,  and  ladies  of  the  court." 

"  My  permission  was  not  asked  for  such  an  audience," 
hissed  the  eunuch.  "  Let  Amestris  beware.  The  days  of 
her  power  as  of  her  beauty  are  numbered." 

He  beat  his  palms  softly  together,  and  four  or  five  gi 
gantic  Nubians  appeared,  as  suddenly  and  noiselessly  as  if 
they  had  sprung  out  of  enchanted  ground. 

"  Take  this  fellow  to  the  dungeon  beneath  my  anteroom," 
commanded  Hege,  pointing  to  the  discomfited  guardsman; 
"  I  will  look  into  his  matter  at  my  leisure." 

The  slaves  instantly  fastened  upon  Nathan  like  black 
apes,  pinioning  his  arms  and  blindfolding  him  with  incred 
ible  swiftness  and  skill.  Then,  despite  his  vigorous  resist 
ance,  he  felt  himself  dragged  away  down  vaulted  corridors 
which  echoed  the  muffled  tread  of  his  captors'  feet,  and  down 
long  flights  of  steps,  which  he  counted  mechanically.  He 
was  set  upon  his  feet  at  last,  and  heard  the  sound  of  heavy 
bolts  rasping  in  their  sockets  and  the  grating  of  a  key  in 
a  rusty  lock.  Once  more  he  struggled  violently  against  the 
sinewy  hands  that  clutched  him  like  the  tentacles  of  some 
evil  monster. 

"  Let  me  go,  slaves !  "  he  commanded.  "  I  am  the  king's 
guardsman  and  am  ordered  to  return  to  the  front  to-mor 
row.  Detain  me  at  your  peril !  " 

"  To-morrow  ?  "  muttered  a  mocking  voice  in  his  ear. 
"  There  is  no  to-morrow  for  those  who  offend  our  master. 
Wert  thou  a  king's  son  it  would  not  avail  thee  now." 

Nathan  felt  himself  loosed  from  his  bonds  and  pushed 
violently  forward;  the  grasping  hands  loosened  their  clutch 
upon  his  limbs,  and  he  stumbled  down  three  or  four  steps, 
his  hands  outspread  in  the  blackness. 


VII 

HE  Hebrew  prince  tore  the  bandage  from 
his  eyes  and  stared  about  him  in  the  dark 
ness.  He  could  see  nothing  at  first,  and 
there  was  no  sound  save  the  faint  drip  and 
gurgle  of  water.  Presently  he  became 
aware  by  means  of  that  mysterious  sixth 
sense  which  has  never  been  entirely  lacking  from  the  mental 
equipment  of  man,  nor  yet  wholly  explained  by  him,  that 
some  other  person  was  near.  Just  where  the  unseen,  silent 
presence,  of  whose  reality  he  was  confident,  lurked,  he  could 
not  tell.  He  stood  quite  still  on  the  steps,  searching  the 
darkness  with  eyes  which  gradually  revealed  to  him  the  in 
terior  of  a  low-ceiled  room  lighted  only  by  a  faint  elusive 
gleam  in  a  far  corner.  This  light,  moreover,  did  not  ap 
pear  constant;  but  brightened  and  gloomed  at  irregular  in 
tervals.  Of  the  dimensions  of  the  place  he  could  judge 
nothing,  and  so  at  length  he  stepped  boldly  down  to  the 
floor  level  and  began  a  cautious  exploration  of  his  surround 
ings.  With  his  drawn  sword  he  felt  the  floor  before 

61 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


him,  mindful  of  pitfalls  which  existed,  it  was  rumored,  in 
the  depths  of  the  great  platform  upon  which  the  palace 
stood. 

Step  by  step  he  advanced,  his  sword  clinking  against  the 
pavement.  He  had  reached  the  wall  now,  and  felt  it  with 
his  hands.  It  was  built,  he  perceived,  not  of  marble  but  of 
the  great  sun-dried  bricks  which  formed  the  substructure  of 
the  palaces.  Still  cautiously  feeling  his  way,  his  sword  sud 
denly  ceased  to  click  against  the  pavement;  it  had  touched 
something  soft — something  that  stirred  under  his  exploring 
fingers  and  moaned  faintly.  The  capricious  light  brightened 
and  revealed  to  his  astonished  eyes  the  faint  outline  of  a 
huddled  shape  crouched  against  the  wall. 

"  You  have  come — to  kill — me — at  last,"  moaned  the 
feeble  voice.  "  I  am — glad.  Do  not  wait  to  terrify  me 
longer." 

"A  woman!  "  exclaimed  Nathan.  "  How  did  you  come 
here?  But  do  not  fear,  I  have  not  come  to  kill  you.  I  am 
a  prisoner  like  yourself." 

"  May  Jehovah  be  merciful  to  thee,  for  there  is  no  escape 
from  the  horrors  of  this  place." 

"You  are  a  Hebrew?" 

"  I  am ;  a  slave,  also.  That  is  why  I  am  here.  I  laughed 
when  the  queen  prayed  before  her  gods.  She  worships  Ash- 
toreth  that  her  beauty  may  be  preserved,  Bel  and  Nabon  for 
fear  they  will  punish  her  for  crimes  committed  in  her  past, 
Ahuramadza  because  it  is  the  fashion,  and  Mithra  because 
the  sun  rules  the  heavens  and  cannot  be  looked  upon  for  his 
splendor  even  by  a  queen." 

"And  you  laughed,  who  were  a  captive  and  a  slave?" 

"  I  did  not  think  the  queen  could  see  me.  I  was  polish 
ing  the  golden  jars  of  her  toilet  table,  and  the  great  silver 
mirror  which  tells  her  lies  every  day ;  and  I  thought  I  might 
laugh  a  little — in  my  mantle — at  the  thoughts  which  visited 
me  at  sight  of  the  great  Queen  Atossa  prostrating  herself 

62 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


before  the  ivory  images.  For  once  the  mirror  told  her  no 
lies.  She  saw  me  reflected  in  it  and  bade  the  eunuchs  fetch 
me  away." 

"  But  no  one  worships  images  in  the  palace.  The  king 
counts  them  among  the  seven  abominations,  and  has  ordered 
all  such  in  his  kingdom  destroyed  with  them  that  worship 
them.  You  must  be  mistaken." 

The  woman  was  silent  for  a  moment;  then  she  laughed 
weakly. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  she  asked.  "  And  why  do  we  babble 
of  gods  and  their  images  in  this  place?  If  there  be  a  God, 
Jehovah  or  Ahuramadza,  get  you  to  your  prayers.  For  my 
self  I  have  prayed  enough." 

"  How  long  have  you  been  here?"  asked  Nathan. 

"  Two — three  days,  it  may  be.  I  know  not.  They  gave 
me  a  loaf  and  a  jar  of  water  the  first  day.  Since  then  noth 
ing." 

She  leaned  toward  the  man  at  her  side,  a  sick  horror  in 
her  dry  whisper. 

"  There  was  another — a  woman — in  the  corner  yonder, 
when  I  was  thrust  in  here.  She  could  not  speak,  but  only 
moan.  She  has  not  moaned  for  many  hours  now.  I  dare 
not  go  to  her  to  see  why." 

"I  will  see  why,"  Nathan  said;  "then  I  will  take  you 
away  from  this  place." 

"You?  You  cannot.  There  is  but  one  door,  and  it  is 
fastened." 

"  The  light  up  yonder,  what  is  it?  " 

"  I  cannot  tell.  It  comes  and  goes,  as  you  see.  It  mad 
dens  me,  that  light." 

The  man  said  nothing  as  he  began  his  cautious  explora 
tion  of  the  place  once  more.  Twice  he  paused  before  what 
appeared  to  be  a  deeper  spot  in  the  prevailing  gloom.  Once 
his  sword  point  came  in  contact  with  garments  of  some  sort 
lying  upon  the  floor.  He  examined  these,  feeling  them  care- 

63 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


fully  with  his  naked  hands — a  mantle  of  coarse  texture,  a 
veil.  They  told  him  nothing. 

"  Have  you  found  the — the  other  ?  "  asked  the  faint  voice 
of  the  slave  from  her  corner. 

"  I  have  found  nothing,"  replied  Nathan,  who  had  com 
pleted  the  circuit  of  the  place  and  felt  himself  once  more  at 
the  flight  of  steps  down  which  he  had  been  pushed  by  the 
slaves. 

"  What  could  have  become  of  her  ?  I  have  not  slept.  I 
know  I  have  not  slept,  though  I  have  dreamed — God,  what 
dreams!  " 

Grown  somewhat  more  confident  the  Hebrew  prince 
started  to  walk  across  the  floor  of  the  dungeon,  his  sword 
point  still  tapping  the  stones  before  him.  He  had  traversed 
perhaps  half  the  space  which  intervened  betwixt  him  and 
the  crouching  figure  of  the  slave  when  his  outstretched 
weapon  ceased  to  ring  against  the  stones,  but  instead  slid 
downward,  touching  nothing  at  all.  Stooping  as  he  was 
Nathan  barely  escaped  the  slippery  verge.  He  drew  back, 
lay  down  full  length  upon  the  floor,  and  reached  forth  an 
exploring  arm.  Cautiously  he  crawled  on  all  fours  about 
the  edge  of  what  he  presently  discovered  to  be  a  circular 
well  or  pit  of  unknown  depth.  He  reached  down  into  it, 
tapping  its  side  with  his  sword ;  but  touched  nothing,  though 
far  beneath  he  fancied  he  could  hear  the  flow  of  water. 

The  slave  girl,  alarmed  at  the  dubious  sounds  which 
came  to  her  in  the  darkness,  called  to  him  weakly. 

"  Where  are  you  ?  "  she  entreated.  "  I  am  coming  to 
you!" 

"  Stay  where  you  are,  woman.  Do  not  move  from  the 
wall  for  your  life!  I  will  come  to  you  presently,  when  I 
have  found  what  sort  of  demon's  work  is  here." 

Satisfied  at  length  of  the  extent  of  the  well  and  of  its 
approximate  nearness  to  the  encircling  wall,  he  drew  back 
from  its  verge,  which  he  had  discovered  to  be  convex  and 

64 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


polished  like  the  lip  of  an  urn,  and  made  his  way  to  the 
spot  where  the  trembling  slave  clung  close  to  the  wall. 

"  What  did  you  find  ?  "  she  whispered.  "  Nay,  do  not 
speak  overloud,  I  fancy  sometimes  that  there  are  eyes  watch 
ing  me — and  breathing  in  the  darkness." 

"  There  is  nothing  at  all  in  the  place,  save  the  four  walls 
and  an  unguarded  well  in  the  middle,"  Nathan  told  her. 

"  A  well  ?  Horror !  That  is  what  I  dreamed.  I  was 
not  asleep,  yet  I  thought  I  heard  a  splash,  a  faint  scream. 
Then  silence.  She  must  have  gone  that  way.  And  I — I 
am  meant  to  find  peace  there,  too.  I  will  go  now.  I  have 
suffered  enough." 

Nathan  detained  her  gently. 

"  At  least  wait  till  I  find  where  that  wavering  light 
comes  from,"  he  urged,  his  voice  firm  and  confident,  though 
his  heart  was  sick  at  thought  of  the  unspeakable  things  of 
this  underground  world. 

He  had  heard  vague  hints  and  vaguer  threats  coupled 
with  obscene  jests  and  coarse  laughter  among  the  soldiers 
of  the  fortress.  That  there  were  vast,  cavernous  chambers 
inclosed  in  the  platforms  whereon  the  palace  and  fortress 
stood,  storerooms,  kitchens,  quarters  for  slaves,  armories, 
wine-cellars,  he  well  knew.  A  branch  of  the  river  Choaspes 
had  been  diverted  from  its  course  to  furnish  the  many 
fountains  and  baths  of  the  palace  with  water  and  to  refresh 
with  a  thousand  cunningly  contrived  rivulets  the  green  gar 
dens  where  queens,  princes,  and  gayly  attired  ladies  spent 
their  days  in  luxurious  idleness.  But  this  gloomy  chamber, 
this  ominous  well  with  its  slippery  verge  and  the  murmur 
of  water  far  beneath — did  this  explain  the  singular  disap 
pearances  of  which  everyone  knew  and  no  one  dared 
question  ? 

He  grew  cold  with  fear  at  the  thought  that  he,  Nathan, 
might  never  be  inquired  for.  It  would  be  supposed  by  his 
men  that  he  had  been  detained  at  the  palace  in  the  further 

65 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


service  of  the  prince.  The  prince  would  take  it  for  granted 
that  he  had  returned  to  the  army.  The  queen  and  the  prin 
cess  would  not  give  him  or  his  fortunes  another  thought. 
Mordecai — and  he  ground  his  teeth  at  the  bitter  thought — 
would  not  be  sorry  if  he  never  appeared  to  trouble  him 
again.  Besides,  the  scribe  could  not  by  any  possibility  know 
of  his  return.  As  for  Hege:  he  clenched  his  strong  hands 
in  futile  rage  as  he  recalled  the  man's  repulsive  visage  and 
remembered  that  he  had  access  daily  to  the  presence  of 
Hadassah. 

It  occurred  to  him  presently  that  the  woman  at  his  side 
might  be  able  to  cast  some  light  upon  the  dark  questions  that 
tortured  him.  He  spoke  to  her  quietly. 

"  The  walls  of  this  room  are  nothing  more  than  sun-dried 
brick,"  he  said ;  "  I  believe  I  can  make  a  hole  through  them 
with  my  sword,  which  they  forgot  to  take  from  me.  The 
light  yonder  appears  to  come  through  a  crevice  in  the  wall. 
I  will  presently  make  it  larger,  and  we  shall  see  if  we  cannot 
make  our  escape  from  this  place,  which  Jehovah  will  assured 
ly  not  permit  to  be  the  tomb  of  his  chosen  people." 

"  Are  you  also  a  Hebrew  ?  "  asked  the  woman,  "  and 
have  you  prayed  to  Jehovah  ?  " 

"  I  am  a  Hebrew,  and  I  have  prayed,  like  a  soldier,  with 
my  sword.  It  has  served  us  well  in  delivering  us  from  the 
pit  yonder.  I  shall  continue  to  trust  Jehovah  and  my  sword 
for  safety  and  for  much  beside.  Can  you  tell  me  anything 
of  one,  Esther,  a  young  maiden,  who  has  lately  arrived  at 
the  palace  ?  " 

"  There  is  a  maiden  by  that  name  in  the  house  of  the 
women,"  said  the  slave.  "  I  have  seen  her  once,  when  my 
mistress  sent  me  to  her  rooms  on  a  pretext  to  see  if  she  was 
really  as  beautiful  as  Hege  declared.  She  was  more  beau 
tiful  than  any  woman  I  have  ever  seen;  but  I  did  not  tell 
Atossa  so;  for  I  loved  the  princess,  though  why  I  know  not, 
save  that  she  looked  at  me  pityingly.  I  am  lame  but  skilled 

66 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


in  many  things.  '  She  is  not  over  fair,'  I  told  the  queen, 
'  and  she  hath  a  cast  in  one  eye  and  a  mole  on  her  left  cheek.' 
'  Then  I  will  permit  her  to  live,'  Atossa  said." 

"  But  why  is  the  maiden  who  is  called  Esther  in  the 
palace  ?  " 

The  woman  sighed  wearily. 

"  I  am  too  faint  with  hunger  to  talk  longer,"  she  fal 
tered,  "  but  surely  you  know  of  the  edict  of  the  king.  Beau 
tiful  women  are  arriving  every  day  and  have  been  coming 
for  many  months  past.  Every  province  sends  one  or  two 
or  three,  and  still  the  underlings  of  Hege  are  seeking  the 
fairest  far  and  near.  There  will  perhaps  be  hundreds  of 
them." 

"For— what?" 

"  That  the  king,  Xerxes — may  he  indeed  live  forever, 
for  he  is  pleasant  to  look  upon  and  his  eyes  are  sometimes 
kind,  even  when  he  looks  upon  the  meanest  of  his  slaves — 
may  choose  a  wife  and  queen,  in  place  of  the  other,  Vashti 
Amestris  they  call  her,  who  is  hated  by  Queen  Atossa." 

"  And  what — will  become  of  those  who  are  not — 
chosen  ?  "  The  young  man's  voice  died  in  his  throat  as  he 
asked  the  question. 

"  Nay.  I  know  not.  They  will  be  kept  to  amuse  the 
queens  and  the  princes  and  the  King's  Majesty,  perchance. 
Such  persons  are  taught  music  and  dancing  and  the  art  of 
telling  marvelous  stories.  Sometimes  they  go  to  wars  with 
the  king.  There  are  many  such  in  the  palace,  and  some 
have  grown  old  and  ugly,  and  lie  among  cushions  all  day 
fanned  by  their  slaves.  Tney  cannot  leave  the  palace,  and 
they  die  of  sweetmeats  and  sherbets  at  the  last,  like  over 
stuffed  peacocks.  I  would  rather  be  a  slave  and  wear  the 
collar  of  service." 

Nathan  sprang  to  his  feet,  his  young  blood  raging  in  his 
veins. 

"  I  would  I  might  pierce  her  innocent  heart  with  this 
67 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


good  sword  of  mine !  "  he  murmured.      '  'Twere  better  a 
thousand  times!     Curses  be  upon  Mordecai!  and  upon " 

"  Do  not  call  down  curses  upon  anyone  now!  "  entreated 
the  slave  woman.  "  Try  instead,  and  see  if  you  can  do  any 
thing  to  save  our  wretched  lives." 

She  sobbed  once  in  her  mantle  and  pushed  him  from  her 
with  all  her  feeble  strength. 

"  Oh,  if  I  were  a  man !  "  she  cried. 

The  tempered  steel  of  the  short  Persian  sword  in  Na 
than's  hand  rang  softly  as  it  bit  into  the  crumbling  brick 
work. 

"  Hush — oh,  hush!  I  think  I  hear  a  step!  "  moaned  the 
crazed  creature,  who  had  dragged  herself  to  his  side. 

"  It  was  but  a  fragment  of  the  brick  falling  to  the  floor," 
he  reassured  her.  "  Here,  you  can  help  me  by  catching  the 
pieces  as  they  fall ;  spread  your  mantle — so !  " 

The  girl  ceased  to  sob  and  shiver  as  she  obeyed  him. 
Something  of  his  determined  young  spirit  seemed  to  pass  into 
her  feeble  body,  strengthening  and  calming  her. 

"  Do  you  really  think  we  can  get  out  of  this  terrible 
place  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  We  can  try.  And  see,  it  is  not  going  to  be  difficult 
to  enlarge  this  hole." 

The  clear  ray  of  light  which  now  streamed  into  the 
dungeon  revealed  the  upturned  face  of  the  slave  girl  in  its 
pallor  and  emaciation.  She  was  looking  up  at  the  stern 
young  figure  which  towered  above  her  with  awed  astonish 
ment. 

"  I  know  you,"  she  murmured.  "  You  are  the  Prince 
of  Edom.  My  father  served  your  father  faithfully  many 
years  ago  in  Babylon.  I,  also,  am  your  servant  and  hand 
maid." 

She  bowed  herself  before  him  after  the  manner  of  the 
Hebrews,  but  after  the  fashion  of  the  Persians  she  passion 
ately  kissed  the  border  of  his  mantle. 

68 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  Who  dared  to  thrust  you,  a  prince  and  wearing  the 
crest  of  the  Great  King,  into  the  foul  dungeon  meant  for 
women  who,  like  myself,  have  offended  some  great  person." 

"  I  was  put  here  by  the  creatures  of  Hege,"  said  Nathan. 

He  was  humiliated  by  the  words  of  the  Jewess,  and  his 
angry  sword  dislodged  a  great  fragment  of  brick  which  fell 
thundering  to  the  floor. 

"  Hark!  "  and  the  girl  clutched  his  arm.  "  I  am  sure 
I  heard  a  step — and  voices !  " 

Both  listened,  breathless,  and  heard  close  at  hand  a  voice 
saying  in  the  Median  tongue: 

"  I  did  not  break  the  jar,  good  Merdasht." 

"  You  did,  slave.    I  heard  it  fall." 

The  sound  of  a  blow  vigorously  dealt  upon  a  naked 
back  followed.  Then  the  first  voice  continued  in  a  subdued 
sniffling  whine: 

"  Here  is  the  oil-jar  unbroken,  excellent  Merdasht. 
How  then  did  you  hear  it  fall  ?  " 

"  Get  you  to  your  tasks,  fool,  and  stop  your  idle  clack, 
or  I  send  you  to  the  scourging-post  for  a  score  of  lashes." 

Both  steps  and  voices  receded,  and  Nathan  looked  down 
at  the  girl's  pinched  face  with  a  smile. 

"  We  are  just  underneath  some  kitchen,"  he  hazarded. 
"  See  now,  I  will  lift  you  up,  and  you  shall  look  into  this 
hole  I  have  made  and  tell  me  what  is  there." 

He  lifted  the  slight  twisted  form  with  exceeding  gentle 
ness. 

"  What  do  you  see  ?  "  he  whispered. 

"  There  is  a  grating  overhead,"  she  told  him,  "  in  the 
ceiling  of  some  sort  of  passage,  which  appears  to  stretch  away 
off  in  the  darkness." 

He  set  her  on  her  feet. 

"  It  must  be  one  of  the  great  conduits,"  he  mused, 
"  which  riddle  the  platforms  from  end  to  end  like  a  maze. 
We  will  explore  it  presently  and  see  whither  it  leads.  But 

6? 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


first,  now  that  we  have  light,  I  must  needs  look  at  the  mys 
terious  well." 

"  Nay,  do  not  look  there !  "  entreated  the  girl,  casting 
a  glance  of  frozen  terror  behind  her.  "  Who  knows  what 
you  might  see?  Besides,  the  door  may  open  again  at  any 
moment,  and  if  they  should  find  us " 

"  You  are  right,  girl.  We  must  get  away  as  soon  as  pos 
sible,  though  if  we  are  discovered  now  that  I  am  unbound 
and  armed  it  would  go  hard  with  the  intruders." 

The  opening  in  the  wall  was  easily  and  noiselessly  en 
larged,  and  there  were  neither  steps  nor  disturbing  voices 
from  the  courtyard  of  the  kitchen  overhead.  The  distant 
clack  of  poultry  and  the  sound  of  spoons  beaten  hard  against 
metal  basins,  the  odors  of  smoking  wood  and  cooking  food 
mingled  with  the  cold  damp  air  from  the  conduit,  which 
now  lay  fully  revealed  before  them  on  a  level  with  Nathan's 
broad  shoulders. 

"I  will  lift  you  up  first;  then  I  will  follow";  and  he 
swung  the  slight  figure  of  the  girl  to  the  higher  floor  of  the 
vaulted  passage.  "  Now  your  mantle — quick !  I  must  cover 
this  hole  from  the  inside  so  that  no  one  will  see  it  and  follow 
us." 

His  alert  ear  had  caught  the  unmistakable  sound  of  the 
great  bolts  rasping  in  their  sockets.  Some  one  was  about 
to  open  the  door.  And  whether  it  were  another  victim  of 
the  displeasure  of  Hege  or  that  powerful  official  himself, 
come  to  deliver  his  falsely  accused  prisoner,  Nathan  dared 
not  wait  to  discover. 

He  seized  the  half-fainting  girl  in  his  arms  and  strode 
hastily  down  the  long  dark  passage  which  appeared  to  stretch 
away  into  the  very  bowels  of  the  earth. 


VIII 

HE  Princess  Amytis,  oldest  of  the  four 
children  of  Xerxes  by  his  queen  Amestris, 
was  now  sixteen  years  old.  Too  old,  in 
the  opinion  of  the  queen,  her  mother,  to 
be  unmarried  and  playing  at  ball  with  her 
maidens  about  the  palace  gardens.  She  had 
already  been  wooed  by  the  handsome  Marsenas,  heir  to  one 
of  the  seven  great  principalities,  and  the  Babylonian  prince, 
Nabupaluzar,  had  asked  her  as  the  chief  ornament  for  his 
house  of  women.  But  she  had  begged  leave  of  her 
father  to  remain  free — at  least  till  his  return  from  Greece, 
and  Xerxes,  loath  to  give  up  his  favorite  child,  had 
consented. 

The  daughter  of  the  King  dwelt  in  such  state  at  Shu- 
shan  as  her  rank  demanded.  This  provided  for  a  separate 
suite  of  apartments,  an  inclosed  garden  and  many  young 
slave  girls,  whom  she  selected  with  capricious  freedom  from 
the  myriads  of  slaves  and  captives  ever  at  the  command  of 
royalty.  The  chief  chamberlain,  Hege,  whose  authority  in 

71 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


the  palace  of  the  women  was  almost  unlimited,  she  frankly 
and  openly  detested. 

"  I  loath  the  creature's  creased,  white  face,  like  underdone 
pastry,"  declared  the  vivacious  young  princess,  "  and  his 
mincing  walk,  exactly  like  the  strut  of  a  peacock.  I  cannot 
help  laughing  to  see  him  going  about  as  if  he  were  lord  of 
the  whole  earth.  He  may  fawn  upon  the  queens  as  much 
as  he  likes;  but  neither  he  nor  his  underlings  shall  come  near 
me." 

And  to  this  she  adhered  with  all  the  strength  of  a  will 
and  resolution  which  had  descended  to  her  through  a  long 
line  of  warrior  kings.  When  Hege  made  his  morning  rounds 
of  the  various  abodes  of  the  royal  house  where  the  queens 
dwelt,  and  of  the  neighboring  and  almost  equally  luxurious 
dwelling,  vaguely  alluded  to  as  the  House  of  Lions,  he  in 
variably  found  himself  barred  out  from  the  quarters  of  the 
princess. 

"  I  can  look  after  the  ordering  of  my  own  house,  and 
govern  my  own  slaves  to  my  liking,  without  your  assistance," 
she  said  pointedly,  and  the  royal  chamberlain  cringed  before 
her  imperious  will  like  a  whipped  cur,  as  was  his  custom 
also  in  the  presence  of  Atossa,  mother  of  the  king.  Never 
theless  he  hated  both  women  and  bided  his  time  with  the 
cruel  patience  of  his  sort. 

Having  thus  boldly  emancipated  herself  from  the  juris 
diction  of  the  chief  authority  in  the  women's  palace,  Amytis 
took  unheard  of  liberties  in  the  place.  She  came  and  went 
as  she  pleased  about  the  long  corridors ;  visited  such  gardens 
as  she  chose,  peeped  into  many  places  closed  to  the  curious, 
and,  in  short,  conducted  herself  in  a  manner  forbidden  by 
authority  and  custom  to  an  unmarried  woman,  and  with  a 
freedom  which  courted  comparison  with  that  of  Atossa,  over 
whom,  indeed,  there  appeared  to  be  no  law,  either  of  king, 
potentate,  or  eunuch. 

"  You  are  overbold,  my  child,"  complained  Amestris, 
72 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


who  had  been  completely  cowed  by  her  own  unfortunate  ex 
perience.  "  A  woman  must  ever  obey,  asking  no  questions, 
thinking  not  for  herself.  Take  warning,  child,  by  my  mis 
fortunes,  and  do  not  offend  anyone — least  of  all  Hege." 

To  this  advice  the  willful  princess  had  merely  tossed  her 
head.  "  I  am  not  afraid  of  that  horrid,  fat  old  man  in  his 
odious,  hot-looking,  red  clothes,"  she  said.  "  And  I  have 
no  husband — as  yet — to  bow  down  to.  When  I  do,  he  must 
be  as  handsome  as  my  father — or  as  that  soldier  who  brought 
my  brother  back.  I  could  have  loved  him;  and  if  I  loved 
a  man  I  should  not  mind  obeying  him." 

Amestris  uttered  a  shocked  exclamation.  "  It  is  not 
proper  for  a  child  to  talk  of  such  things  as  loving  one's  hus 
band,"  she  murmured.  "  What  can  you  possibly  know  of 
love?  And  indeed,  child,  I  would  that  you  never  loved. 
'Tis  better  not.  Now,  I " 

But  the  princess  sprang  up  with  an  impatient  laugh. 
"  Nay,  my  mother,  I  know  all  that  you  would  say.  I  must 
go  now  and  see  if  my  maids  have  fed  my  pet  nightingale, 
and  if  the  water  lilies  are  open  yet.  There  is  a  pink  one  in 
the  basin  of  my  fountain  which  showed  its  color  in  the  bud 
yesterday." 

She  sped  away,  laughing  at  her  escape  from  one  of  the 
tiresome  homilies  of  the  queen,  who  in  these  days  harped 
unceasingly  upon  a  single  theme,  worn  trite  and  dull,  like 
an  oft-repeated  melody  in  a  minor  key. 

Amytis  was  not  unaware  of  the  labors  of  Hege  in  these 
days,  pending  the  return  of  the  king  from  the  wars;  and 
though  she  had  been  strictly  forbidden  by  her  grandmother, 
Atossa — to  whose  dictums  she  had  from  childhood  paid  a 
perfunctory  obedience — to  visit  any  of  the  young  girls  who 
were  gathering  from  near  and  distant  provinces,  neverthe 
less  her  curiosity  had  more  than  once  got  the  better  of  her 
discretion,  and  she  had  caught  stolen  glimpses  of  beauties, 
dark  and  fair,  being  taken  from  their  litters  in  the  great 

73 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


courtyard  of  the  palace.  The  long  corridors  were  alive  with 
their  slaves  and  attendants,  coming  and  going  with  trays 
of  food,  baskets  of  fruit,  and  jars  of  scented  wines.  And 
from  veiled  doorways  the  curious  princess  could  not  help 
hearing  sounds  of  girlish  laughter,  or  wails  of  homesickness 
and  futile  anger. 

There  was  a  vast  deal  of  ceremonial  observance  to  be 
gone  through  with  these  maiden  aspirants  to  the  Persian 
throne;  to  wit,  perfumed  baths,  and  anointings  with  precious 
unguents,  cunningly  compounded  in  the  secret  laboratories 
of  the  palace  from  cinnamon,  frankincense,  spikenard,  myrrh, 
cassia,  gum  styrax,  saffron,  cardamon,  wine,  honey,  and 
divers  other  ingredients,  famed  for  the  delicate  beauty  which 
they  imparted  to  the  complexion.  There  were  costly  scents 
in  alabaster  vases,  garlands  of  lilies,  couches  of  fresh-plucked 
rose  leaves,  and  the  daintiest  of  foods  and  drinks  especially 
prepared  by  a  staff  of  skilled  cooks.  And  all  these  things 
went  on  under  the  supervision  of  the  well-nigh  omniscient 
Hege,  whose  authority  in  the  royal  house  of  women  was 
secondary  only  to  that  of  the  king  himself. 

The  mischievous  princess,  having  seen  the  broad  back 
and  mincing  step  of  the  court  functionary  disappear  down 
a  flight  of  steps  leading  to  one  of  the  lower  terraces  of  the 
palace,  paused  before  a  curtained  doorway. 

"  Is  your  mistress  within  ?  "  she  demanded  of  the  Nubian 
slave  girls  crouched  upon  their  heels  before  the  entrance. 
The  slaves  stared  at  her  between  bobbing  obeisances. 

"  Her  name  is  Esther,  is  it  not  ?  "  repeated  the  princess 
with  an  imperious  gesture.  "  Answer  me." 

One  of  the  girls  instantly  disappeared  within,  and  Amy- 
tis,  half  repenting  her  boldness,  was  on  the  point  of  turning 
away  when  the  curtains  parted  and  an  old  and  very  fat 
woman  appeared. 

"  Who  are  you?  "  she  asked,  speaking  the  Persian  tongue 
with  a  strange  foreign  accent. 

74 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  I  am  the  Princess  Amytis,"  answered  the  girl  with 
pride.  "  I  go  where  I  will,  and  see  whom  I  please  in  my 
father's  house." 

The  woman  bowed  respectfully,  her  quick  eyes  noting 
the  purple  border  of  Amytis'  tunic,  which  none  but  queens 
or  the  children  of  the  Achaemenidae  might  wear. 

"  May  it  please  the  Princess  Amytis  to  enter,"  she  said. 
"  My  mistress  is  greatly  honored." 

Amytis  passed  in  quickly,  her  garments  rustling  on  the 
marble  floor.  She  found  herself  upon  a  terrace  very  like  the 
one  which  fronted  her  own  apartments,  save  that  it  was 
smaller;  a  flight  of  marble  steps  led  down  into  a  green  gar 
den,  gay  with  flowers,  and  the  columns  which  supported  the 
fretted  roof  were  twined  with  fragrant  vines  and  climbing 
roses.  Rich  tapestries  fit  for  the  royal  house  itself,  were 
looped  back  from  the  broad,  carven  doorways,  and  a  pile  of 
cushions  covered  with  Persian  needlework  of  birds  and  flow 
ers  were  heaped  in  careless  profusion  upon  the  silken  rug  of 
Shiraz  at  the  verge  of  the  terrace.  Amytis  glanced  quickly 
about,  her  bright  eyes  taking  in  all  the  details  of  the  quiet, 
shaded  spot;  then  a  little  cry  of  surprise  and  anger  burst 
from  her  lips,  and  she  ran  down  the  flight  of  steps  into  the 
garden.  There  was  a  fountain,  with  a  single  delicate  jet,  in 
the  midst  of  a  thick  circle  of  blue  flowers,  and  upon  the  sur 
face  of  its  basin  rocked  two  or  three  magnificent  blossoms 
of  the  rare  pink  water-lily  of  Damascus,  for  a  single  plant  of 
which  Amytis  had  given  the  biggest  pearl  from  her  necklace. 

As  she  bent  over  the  flowers,  inhaling  their  delicious  per 
fume  with  vexed  wonder,  she  heard  a  soft  footfall  on  the 
flags  at  her  side  and  looked  up  to  meet  the  dark  eyes  and 
smiling  glance  of  a  maiden  no  older  than  herself. 

"  They  are  very  beautiful,  are  they  not?  "  the  newcomer 
said  in  a  tone  of  soft  surprise. 

Amytis  calmly  swept  the  stranger  from  head  to  foot  with 
the  keen  glance  of  her  blue  eyes. 
6  75 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  You  are  that  wonderful  Esther,  I  suppose,"  she  said, 
her  curiosity  satisfied  at  length. 

"  They  call  me  Esther — here." 

"  Have  you  another  name,  then?  " 

"  Once  I  had ;  but  it  is  forgotten." 

"  Let  us  sit  down  in  the  shade  of  this  arbor,"  proposed 
Amytis.  "  I  wish  to  look  at  you  close — you  are  so  much 
taller  than  I.  There — now  I  shall  ask  you  questions.  Do 
you  know  that  you  are  very  beautiful  ?  " 

The  dark  maiden  blushed  and  looked  down.  She  had 
heard  little  else  of  late,  and  she  feared  lest  she  might  grow 
vain  and  light-minded,  as  Abihail  continually  warned  her, 
and  so  lose  favor  in  the  sight  of  the  unseen  Elohim,  God  of 
the  Hebrew  people,  to  whom  she  prayed  fervently  night 
and  morning. 

"  Beauty  is  vain,  and  favor  is  deceitful,"  she  murmured, 
quoting  from  the  words  of  an  ancient  Hebrew  writing. 

"  Oh,  no,  it  is  not.  Beauty  is  quite  the  best  thing  in  the 
world — for  a  woman.  I  am  beautiful,  myself;  but  not  so 
beautiful  as  you.  I  think  I  shall  forgive  you  for  the  lilies." 

"For  the  lilies?" 

"  Yes,  the  pink  lilies  there  in  your  fountain.  I  thought 
I  had  the  only  ones  in  the  palace;  but  I  see  I  was  mistaken. 
I  suppose  Hege  stole  them  from  me  for  you.  He  is  sly 
beyond  anything — that  creature.  I  should  be  afraid  of  him 
if  I  did  not  hate  and  despise  him  so  heartily.  Nothing  can 
hurt  one,  if  one  despises  it  sufficiently." 

"  You  mean  the  chief  chamberlain,  I  suppose." 

Esther  spoke  slowly,  her  sweet  voice  holding  inflections 
of  wonder,  while  her  wide,  dark  eyes  dwelt  on  the  vivacious 
face  of  the  girl  at  her  side. 

"  He  has  been  most  kind  to  me.  I — I  think  I  could  not 
dislike  him,  because  of  his  kindness." 

"  But  you  despise  him,  of  course.  No  one  could  help 
doing  that.  But  let  us  not  talk  of  Hege.  It  might  bring 

76 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


him  hither.  Tell  me  about  yourself.  What  do  you  do  all 
day  in  this  pretty  prison  ?  " 

Esther  sighed  and  looked  thoughtfully  away  to  the  rim 
of  purple  mountains,  which  could  be  seen  between  the  thick 
boughs  of  myrtle  and  rhododendron. 

"  It  has  seemed  a  long  time  since  I  came  here,"  she  said 
at  length.  "  It  was  summer  then,  and  there  has  been  a 
winter,  and  now  it  is  spring  once  more.  I  have  learned 
many  things,  though,  since  I  came,  and  one  cannot  be  wholly 
sad  when  one  is  growing  in  knowledge." 

Amytis  burst  into  a  ringing  laugh  of  amusement. 

"  Nay,  you  talk  as  wisely  as  the  Hebrew  scribe,  Matacas, 
who  sometimes  writes  letters  for  my  grandmother.  One  can 
see  that  you  must  have  been  taught  many  things  besides  the 
weaving  of  garlands  and  a  pretty  taste  in  engraved  gems." 

Esther  had  fixed  her  large  beautiful  eyes  upon  the  prin 
cess  with  almost  pathetic  earnestness. 

"Then  you  know  Morde — the  scribe  Matacas?"  she 
asked. 

The  princess  shrugged  her  slim  shoulders.  "  I  have  seen 
him,"  she  said,  indifferently;  "but  he  does  not  write  letters 
nowadays.  My  grandmother  was  very  angry  when  they  sent 
Ezekiel,  another  Hebrew,  to  her  yesterday.  But  it  seems 
my  father  gave  the  keeping  of  the  seals  into  the  hand  of 
Matacas,  so  he  could  not  come.  But  tell  me,  what  have 
you  learned  since  you  came  to  the  palace?  Can  you  play 
on  the  harp?  Can  you  sing  love  songs  and  tell  stories?  " 

"  I  can  do  none  of  these  acceptably,  I  fear,"  and  Esther 
hung  her  dark  head,  "  but  I  have  learned  some  beautiful 
verses  in  the  Persian  tongue."  She  repeated,  softly: 

"  Praise  we  the  all-wise  God,  who  hath  made  and  created  the 

ages; 

Praise  him  who  in  the  heavens  hath  sown  and  hath  scattered 
the  seed  of  the  stars; 

77 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


Praise  him  who  moves  between  the  three  ages  that  are,  and 

have  been,  and  shall  be! 

Praise  ye  him,  all  his  angels.     Praise  ye  him,  all  his  hosts! 
Praise  ye  him,  sun   and   moon;  praise  him,   all  ye   stars  of 

light! " 

The  girl's  rich,  musical  voice  faltered  and  ceased,  while 
a  frightened  color  crept  into  her  pale  cheeks. 

"  That  is  a  hymn  to  Ahura-Mazda.  I  learned  it  once 
when  I  was  small,"  said  Amytis,  "  but  the  last  lines  sounded 
different  to  me.  Perhaps  I  have  forgotten,  though.  Now 
I  must  go,  and  I  may  not  see  you  again." 

Her  blue  eyes  grew  sober  as  she  gazed  at  the  pensive  face 
of  her  companion.  "  Who  knows,"  she  added  under  her 
breath,  "  you  may  not  always  be  so  dull." 

She  drew  her  veil  of  white  and  violet  tissue  about  her 
shoulders  and  again  bent  forward  to  study  the  exquisite  face 
of  the  stranger. 

"  You  have  not  told  me  anything  about  yourself,  after 
all,  and  I  meant  to  know  everything.  Where  did  you  come 
from?" 

"  I  was  born  in  Babylon,  Princess." 

"  And  who  named  you  for  Aahtoreth,  the  queen  of  love 
and  beauty,  the  star  among  lesser  deities?  " 

"  One  who  loved  me." 

"  And  whom  you  loved  ?  " 

The  maid  who  was  called  Esther  bent  her  head  so  that 
the  curious  princess  could  see  only  the  tips  of  her  curling 
lashes  and  the  downward  curve  of  her  delicately  modeled 
features.  She  did  not  answer. 

"  Who  sent  you  here  to  the  palace  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  answer.  I  have  been  forbidden  to  talk  of  my 
self." 

"  By  Hege,  probably.  Well,  perhaps  it  is  as  well.  The 
very  walls  have  ears,  they  say;  and  strange  things  happen  to 

78 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


strangers  who  are  indiscreet.  But  you  need  not  have  feared 
to  tell  me.  Farewell,  and  remember  that  I  have  forgiven 
you  the  lilies.  I  had  thought  at  first  to  pull  them  from  the 
fountain;  but  after  I  had  seen  you,  I  could  not  find  it  in 
my  heart  to  make  you  weep." 

The  warm-hearted  princess  held  out  her  hand,  and  Es 
ther  took  it  in  both  of  hers,  bowing  over  it  and  touching  it 
timidly  with  her  lips. 


IX 


HE  resplendent  luminary  of  Asha-Vahista 
must  have  been  in  the  ascendant  in  the 
horoscope  of  Amytis,  princess  of  Persia,  that 
day,  for  she  met  with  still  another  adven 
ture  ere  the  sun  dropped  behind  the  moun 
tains.  In  her  own  garden  she  reigned  para 
mount,  directing  the  labors  of  the  Nubian  women,  who, 
under  her  sole  direction  did  most  of  the  work  of  the  place. 
In  imitation  of  a  more  famous  Babylonian  garden  she  had 
created  there  a  maze  of  rose-embowered  walks,  in  the  se 
cret  depths  of  which  fountains  played  in  the  midst  of  a 
grotto,  marble-walled,  where  at  noon  of  the  hottest  day  one 
might  rest  in  solitude  untroubled  by  the  heat  or  the  clouds 
of  midges  which  sometimes  arose  from  the  hidden  pools 
beneath,  to  the  discomfiture  of  fair  ladies  and  bold  warriors 
alike. 

It  pleased  Amytis  to  be  quite  alone  in  this  sylvan  retreat 
during  the  long  hours  of  the  afternoon,  when  Mithra  rode 
high  in  the  heavens,  smiting  the  green  earth  with  his  golden 

80 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


arrows.  Unlike  most  of  the  Persian  royalties,  she  had  learned 
to  read  in  her  early  childhood,  and  the  parchments  and  tab 
lets  which  she  kept  in  her  rooms,  locked  away  from  the  med 
dlesome  fingers  of  her  maids,  held  many  a  curious  writing 
from  the  Zendavesta:  Gathas,  or  songs  of  the  ancient  re 
ligion,  and  the  purer  hymns  of  the  cult  of  Zoroaster;  these 
sufficed  to  solace  many  an  hour  which  would  otherwise 
have  been  wasted  in  the  luxurious  idleness  enforced  upon 
the  royal  women.  Amytis  had  gathered  her  superior  knowl 
edge,  as  she  did  many  other  things,  by  sheer  force  of  a  keen 
intellect  and  a  mind  too  active  to  be  satisfied  with  a  multi 
plicity  of  garments  and  jewels  and  the  various  fancies  in 
pastry  and  confectionery  which  occupied  the  attention  of  the 
other  female  inmates  of  the  palace.  From  Matacas,  the 
Hebrew  scribe,  she  had  obtained  many  of  her  parchments; 
others  had  come  to  her  through  channels  little  suspected  by 
the  lynx-eyed  eunuchs  whom  she  so  openly  despised. 

On  this  day  the  murmur  of  the  hidden  fountains  and 
the  twitter  of  birds  in  the  thickets  had  lulled  the  princess 
into  a  waking  dream,  wherein  she  beheld  the  beautiful  for 
eign  princess,  as  she  chose  to  call  Esther,  repeating  the  Zoro- 
astrian  hymn  of  praise  to  the  All-wise,  Ahura-Mazda.  She 
had  been  reading  the  scroll,  puzzling  over  its  lines  written 
in  close  cuneiform,  to  find  the  unfamiliar  words  Esther  had 
introduced  into  its  stately  cadences. 

"  She  has  another  god,  and  other  hymns  of  praise  were 
in  her  mind,"  concluded  the  princess,  and  wondered  idly 
whether  it  were  the  powerful  Mithra,  or  Armaiti,  the  serene 
angel  of  the  earth,  who  ever  converts  deserts  and  wilder 
nesses  into  fruitful  fields  and  gardens.  Amytis  often  prayed 
to  this  benign  presence,  who,  with  Vayu,  the  wind,  made  of 
her  garden  a  paradise  wherein  she  could  give  herself  to  those 
deeper  reflections  which  often  lie  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
most  brilliant  and  artificial  life.  It  seemed  to  her  that  some 
times  at  dawn  and  at  sunset  she  could  almost  hear  the  stir 

81 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


of  the  unseen  garments  of  the  benign  goddess  as  she  passed 
among  the  flowers.  And  the  blossoms  shook  out  a  sweeter 
fragrance  as  Vayu  breathed  upon  them. 

Amytis  told  no  one  of  her  pretty  fancies,  nor  of  how, 
in  secret,  she  dropped  innocent  kisses  upon  the  satin  curve 
of  a  rose-leaf,  feeling  that  so  she  approached  most  nearly 
the  exquisite,  unseen  life  that  dwelt  beneath.  That  she  was 
akin  to  this  life — a  part  of  it — she  also  realized  vaguely, 
with  a  dreaming  adoration  of  the  mighty  Spirit,  the  Holiest, 
the  Father  of  all  truth,  the  Master  of  purity,  Ahura-Mazda ! 

Sometimes  she  went  to  the  temple  with  the  queens  and 
the  wives  of  the  seven  princes ;  but  even  the  stately  ritual  of 
the  priests,  the  solemn  chanting,  and  the  white-robed  pro 
cessions  failed  to  stir  the  deeps  of  her  nature  as  did  the 
unfolding  of  a  lily,  the  curve  of  a  spray-wet  fern,  or  the 
humble  grace  of  a  hairbell,  growing  in  a  crevice  of  her  hid 
den  grotto. 

Dreamily  she  read  aloud  from  the  scroll  spread  upon 
her  knee,  her  voice  blending  with  the  subdued  murmur  of 
the  fountain: 

"  Water,  and  the  center  of  all  pure  waters,  given  of  Ormazd,  purest 
Lord  of  the  waters; 

Water,  that  refreshes  all  things;  that  causeth  the  grass  to  grow 
upon  the  mountains,  and  lilies  to  bloom  in  the  deserts; 

Water,  that  quenches  the  thirst  of  the  body,  and  the  ever-increas 
ing  thirst  of  the  spirit;  I  call  upon  thee  and  invite  thee! 

Souls  of  the  righteous  and  pure;  they  whose  spirits  partake  of  the 
nature  of  the  all-wise  Creator,  I  call  upon  and  invite  you! 

Upon  Ahura,  symbol  of  the  One  greatest  in  heaven  and  upon 
earth,  and  upon  all  the  stars,  the  works  of  Ormazd;  upon 

Sreosha,  the  shining  messenger  of  the  Highest,  I  call!" 

As  the  last  syllable  fell  from  the  lips  of  the  princess  she 
heard  a  strange  sound — a  sound  which  appeared  to  come 
from  beneath  her  very  feet. 

82 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


"  Help !     Help !  in  the  name  of  the  All-merciful !  " 

The  maiden  dropped  the  scroll  and  started  to  her  feet. 
Had  the  hidden  waters,  so  long  prisoned  beneath  the  marble, 
heard  the  words  of  her  mystic  invocation  ?  Were  they  yearn 
ing  for  deliverance? 

These  ancient  songs  were  very  powerful,  she  well  knew, 
and  a  superstitious  shudder  passed  through  all  her  limbs. 
Then  she  gathered  her  girlish  courage  and  bent  to  the  earth 
from  whence  the  voice  had  appeared  to  arise. 

"  Who  are  you  who  call  for  help  in  the  name  of  Ahura- 
Mazda?  "  she  asked.  "  Speak  again,  I  entreat  you!  " 

A  deep  hollow  groan  answered  her.  Then  the  bronze 
grating  into  which  the  overflow  of  the  fountain  perpetually 
dripped  shook  violently. 

Amytis  knew  that  a  single  scream  would  summon  a  host 
of  slaves  and  eunuchs  to  her  assistance;  but  some  unseen 
presence  appeared  to  lay  the  finger  of  silence  upon  her  lips. 
She  bent  once  more  over  the  grating. 

"  Whoever  you  are,  answer  at  once.  If  you  need  help, 
I  will  help  you." 

"  Can  you — open  ?  " 

The  princess  stooped  and  laid  hold  of  the  metal  ring 
that  formed  the  top  of  the  grating;  it  was  the  custom  of  the 
gardeners  to  lift  this  from  time  to  time  in  order  to  remove 
the  clogging  leaves  which  would  otherwise  stop  the  flow 
of  the  water  into  the  underground  channel.  Amytis 
knew  something  of  the  great  branching  system  of  conduits 
beneath  the  palace  platform,  by  way  of  which  slaves 
had  more  than  once  escaped  from  the  wrath  of  their 
masters. 

Her  terror  left  her,  as  she  reflected  that  after  all  she 
could  instantly  hide  herself  in  the  intricacies  of  the  maze; 
her  love  of  adventure,  moreover,  which  met  with  but  infre 
quent  indulgence  in  her  guarded  life  lent  zest  to  her  efforts 
to  lift  the  heavy  grating. 

83 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  Push  from  underneath,"  she  whispered  to  the  unseen 
suppliant,  "  I  have  released  the  fastening." 

In  another  moment  the  grating  was  pushed  powerfully 
to  one  side  and  the  head  and  shoulders  of  a  man  emerged 
into  the  open  air.  To  the  amazement  and  undisguised  terror 
of  Amytis  the  head  was  panoplied  in  the  winged  helmet  worn 
by  the  king's  bodyguard.  Then  she  perceived  that  the  man 
was  ghastly  pale  and  half  fainting,  and  without  further  re 
flection,  she  ran  to  his  assistance. 

"  There — is — another ;  I  fear  she  is — dead,"  gasped  the 
man.  He  lifted  himself  to  the  edge  of  the  aperture;  then 
stooped,  and  with  the  greatest  difficulty  extricated  the  limp 
figure  of  a  woman. 

Amytis  stooped  over  the  body  clad  in  the  mean  garments 
of  a  slave  and  dripping  dankly  with  the  waters  of  the  under 
ground  stream.  "  She  is  not  dead,"  she  said,  briefly.  "  Her 
heart  is  beating.  Wait,  I  will  call  a  slave  and  bid  them 
fetch  wine." 

"  No,  do  not  call  anyone,  daughter  of  Xerxes,  whom  I 
serve,  unless  you  wish  to  see  us  both  killed.  As  you  are 
merciful,  wait  till  I  have  explained  why  I  am  here." 

Amytis  stared  at  him,  her  face  betraying  her  growing 
fear  and  bewilderment. 

"  You  are  that  Hebrew  prince  who  told  us  of  the  army 
yesterday — or  was  it " 

"  The  day  before,"  he  told  her.  "  After  the  audience 
I  had  the  misfortune  to  walk  down  the  wrong  corridor.  I 
should  have  asked  a  slave,  but  I  did  not ;  and  the  chief  cham 
berlain — Hege,  they  call  him — discovered  me  upon  forbid 
den  ground,  and " 

The  princess  knit  her  brow ;  her  blue  eyes  flashed  angrily. 
"  Did  Hege  dare  to  lay  hands  upon  one  of  my  father's  Im 
mortals  ?  "  she  asked.  "  I  will  tell  Xerxes  of  this  when  he 
returns,  and  that  odious  Hege  shall  suffer  for  it." 

"  He  meant  to  force  me  to  the  inglorious  death  of  a 
84 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


slave,  Princess,  and  that  without  reason;  but  can  you  not  do 
something  for  this  poor  slave  girl,  whom  I  found  half  dead 
in  the  dungeon  ?  " 

Amytis  turned,  her  finger  on  her  lips. 

"  I  would  do  anything  to  vex  Hege,"  she  said,  "  but  I 
cannot  think  what  is  best.  You  must  not  be  seen  in  my  gar 
den;  that  is  clear." 

She  raised  her  eyes  to  the  tall  guardsman,  a  rosy  color 
flooding  her  white  skin. 

"  I  will  fetch  a  flask  of  wine  and  some  food  to  this  poor 
girl  here,  and  when  she  has  revived  somewhat,  I  will  take 
care  of  her.  But  you — nay,  stay  where  you  are.  I  must 
think  further." 

The  princess  ran  lightly  away,  and  Nathan  stooped  over 
the  fainting  girl,  who  had  begun  to  moan  and  stir  feebly 
in  the  warm,  bright  air.  She  sat  up  presently  when  she  had 
tasted  the  wine  held  to  her  lips  by  the  princess,  and  looked 
about  her  with  a  terrified  stare. 

"  Do  not  put  me  back  in  that  dreadful  place!  "  she  en 
treated,  her  dim  eyes  fastening  confusedly  upon  the  violet 
borders  of  the  princess's  gown.  "  Gracious  queen,  have  mercy 
upon  me!  I  will  never  again  laugh  when  you  adore  the 
images!  I  will " 

Amytis  frowned.  "  No  one  worships  images  except  my 
grandmother,"  she  said,  "  and  she  is  old  and  may  be  excused 
for  her  folly,  since  she  is  a  daughter  of  Cyrus.  Eat  this, 
and  be  quiet,  girl.  No  one  is  going  to  hurt  you." 

She  stood  up  and  fixed  her  eyes  calmly  upon  Nathan. 

"  If  my  father  was  here,  I  should  know  wrhat  to  do," 
she  said.  "  I  should  go  to  him,  and  tell  him  all  that 
has  happened.  I  always  speak  the  exact  truth  to 
Xerxes,  and  he  knows  that  I  do.  Hence  I  am  not  at 
all  afraid  of  him,  as  are  many  of  the  foolish  women  in 
the  palace.  But  the  king  is  not  here,  and  that  odious 

Hege " 

85 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


She  stopped  short,  puckering  her  girlish  brows  thought 
fully.  "  Stay,  I  have  thought  of  something.  You  shall  wait 
here  till  night.  Then  I  will  show  you  how  to  get  down 
to  the  King's  Terrace,  and  from  there  you  can  easily  reach 
the  fortress.  Till  then  you  must  keep  very  still.  If  you 
hear  anything  do  not  be  frightened,  no  one  ever  comes  to 
this  grotto  except  myself." 

She  turned  to  the  slave  girl  with  the  air  of  a  royal 
mistress.  "  Can  you  stand  up  ?  " 

The  slave  obeyed  the  command  in  the  blue  eyes  by  strug 
gling  weakly  to  her  feet. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  the  girl  ?  "  Nathan 
asked.  "  She  is  a  Hebrew,"  he  added,  in  a  lower  voice. 

"  She  is  very  ugly,"  said  the  princess,  who  would  have 
none  but  comely  maids  about  her  own  beautiful  self.  "  Why, 
she  is  even  crooked,  and  drags  one  foot." 

The  slave  girl  would  have  prostrated  herself,  but  the 
princess  forbade  it  with  an  imperious  gesture. 

"  I  shall  not  on  that  account  give  you  to  Hege  to  tor 
ment.  I  shall  keep  you,  if  for  nothing  but  to  spite  the 
creature." 

That  night,  when  the  young  moon  had  hid  herself  behind 
drifting  masses  of  cloud,  the  princess  returned  to  the  grotto 
where  she  had  left  Nathan. 

"  Come,"  she  said  imperiously. 

Without  a  word  he  followed  her  through  dew-drenched 
thickets  of  roses  where  nightingales  sang,  to  the  balustrade 
which  separated  the  garden  from  what  was  known  as  the 
King's  Terrace.  When  they  had  reached  the  place  Amytis 
stopped  and  fixed  her  eyes  seriously  upon  him. 

"  They  will  search  for  you  in  the  palace,"  she  said.  "  I 
heard  my  brother  Artaxerxes  ask  Hege  for  you,  and  the 
creature  smirked  and  writhed,  as  he  does  always  when  one 
of  the  Achasmenidae  speaks  to  him.  '  The  guardsman  has 

86 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


departed  to  join  the  royal  forces,'  he  answered,  but  I  saw 
his  black  look  when  he  said  it.  He  knows  that  you  have 
escaped,  and  he  will  kill  you  yet  if  he  can  lay  hands  upon 
you.  If  you  do  not  return  to  the  army  it  will  be  supposed 
that  you  perished  on  the  return  journey;  and  one  soldier 
more  or  less  will  not  matter  to  Xerxes." 

"  I  shall  not  perish  at  the  hands  of  Hege,"  Nathan 
said  bitterly.  "  I  have  other  work  to  do." 

The  princess  looked  at  him  long  and  earnestly.  "  You 
ought  to  win  great  renown  and  glory  with  the  life  I  am 
giving  you,"  she  said  proudly.  "  See,  I  will  also  give  you 
an  amulet  to  keep  you  from  harm." 

She  flung  the  links  of  a  slender  chain  over  his  bowed 
head.  "  If  you  are  challenged  by  anyone,"  she  whispered, 
"  show  this  engraved  gem.  It  is  the  royal  lion  hunter  of 
Persia,  copied  from  the  king's  signet.  It  will  safeguard 
you  in  the  palace,  and,  if  Auramazda  wills  it,  wherever  you 
may  go." 

Nathan  kissed  the  hem  of  her  perfumed  mantle  with  the 
air  of  a  courtier. 

"  May  Auramazda  and  all  the  gods  be  gracious  to  you, 
daughter  of  Xerxes,"  he  murmured.  "  As  for  myself,  I  can 
not  thank  you.  There  are  no  words  in  any  language  at  my 
command  sufficient  for  the  task." 

Amytis  frowned.  "  Words  are  not  required,"  she  said, 
haughtily.  "  I  do  this  because  it  pleases  me  to  do  it.  Go 
now,  and  when  you  have  reached  the  fortress  do  not  delay. 
Return  at  once  to  my  father.  Quick,  now,  the  guard  has 
passed  behind  the  Hall  of  Columns !  " 

She  leaned  over  the  balustrade,  watching  the  tall,  erect 
figure  of  the  guardsman  as  it  hurried  across  the  square  of 
moonlight  on  the  terrace  below,  her  heart  beating  hard 
against  her  breast  as  the  watchman's  distant  footfall  ap 
proached  nearer.  Now  the  refugee  had  disappeared  among 
the  ranks  of  stately  columns  which  flanked  the  king's  palace ; 

87 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


in  another  instant  he  would  gain  the  stairs  leading  down 
to  the  fortress  and  be  safe  from  pursuit. 

The  princess  slowly  retraced  her  steps,  her  fair  head 
bent,  her  eyes  rilled  with  unreasoning  tears.  In  that  hour 
she  forgot  utterly  that  she  was  a  princess  of  Persia  and 
Media,  and  remembered  only  that  she  was  a  woman. 


T  was  more  than  a  month  later  when  Na 
than,  with  the  small  detachment  of  guards 
he  had  commanded  as  escort  of  the  sick 
prince,  fell  in  with  the  rear  column  of 
Xerxes's  vast  army.  The  host  had  marched 
along  the  coast  of  Thrace,  across  Chalcidice 
and,  skirting  the  Thermaic  Gulf  into  Pieria,  had  spread  it 
self  over  a  wide  tract  of  country,  one  great  division  keeping 
to  the  coast,  another,  far  inland,  while  Xerxes  himself 
marched  with  the  middle  division.  Heralds  had  been  sent 
into  all  the  Grecian  states  with  a  demand  for  earth  and 
water,  and  most  of  the  continental  Greeks  had  responded 
with  the  symbols  of  submission.  There  appeared  to  be 
slight  obstacle  between  the  Persians  and  Athens,  the  real 
object  of  the  expedition.  The  Greeks  still  offering  no  re 
sistance,  the  Persian  army  streamed  over  the  Olympic  range, 
marched  through  Thessaly  and  finally  came  to  a  standstill 
before  the  narrow  defile  of  Thermopylae,  where  a  small 
force  of  the  enemy  was  found  to  be  in  possession  of  the  pass. 

89 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


It  was  on  the  second  day  of  the  assault  that  the  Hebrew 
prince,  by  hard  riding,  finally  overtook  his  own  division  of 
the  Immortals.  He  found  the  great  pavilion  of  the  king  set 
on  a  small,  wooded  eminence  in  full  view  of  Callidromus, 
the  high  mountain  which,  with  the  sea  on  the  other  side, 
formed  a  well-nigh  impregnable  gateway  into  Northern 
Greece.  Without  waiting  to  rid  himself  of  the  stains  of 
travel  he  at  once  presented  himself  before  the  royal  tent. 

Xerxes  was  known  to  have  laid  aside  much  of  the  cere 
mony  of  his  court,  and  so  the  young  man  did  not  prostrate 
himself  when  admitted  to  the  presence,  but  saluted  the  king 
as  a  soldier  his  superior  officer. 

The  monarch,  reclining  on  a  couch  of  lion's  skin,  was 
plucking  savagely  at  the  tawny  mane  of  the  dead  animal 
while  he  listened  to  a  report  of  one  of  his  generals.  A 
large  detachment  of  Medes  had  just  been  driven  back  from 
the  defile  with  heavy  loss,  and  now  the  Cissian  footmen, 
celebrated  for  their  valor  and  success  in  assault,  had  been 
cut  in  two  by  the  long  spears  of  the  Spartans  and  the  no 
less  deadly  arrows  of  the  Lacedaemonian  and  Thespian 
archers. 

"  Send  in  my  Immortals,"  ordered  Xerxes.  "  Nothing 
can  withstand  them." 

Then  irritably  he  turned  to  Nathan. 

"  You  bear  a  report  of  further  failure,  I  suppose,  with 
which  to  regale  my  ears.  Out  with  it,  fellow!  " 

"  I  bring  news  of  the  prince,  and  of  the  court,  great 
Xerxes,"  and  Nathan  bowed  himself  before  the  stormy  blue 
eyes  of  the  king.  "  I  bring  also  parchments  from  the  Queen 
Atossa,  and  from  Matacas,  keeper  of  the  royal  seals." 

"Good!     What  of  the  lad?" 

"  May  it  please  the  king " 

"  It  pleases  the  king  to  hear  what  you  have  to  say  in 
as  few  words  as  possible." 

"  The  Prince  Artaxerxes  reached  Shushan  in  excellent 
90 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


health,  your  Majesty,  all  signs  of  his  disorder  having  dis 
appeared  on  the  journey." 

The  king  nodded  his  great  head.  '  'Twas  a  bitter  dis 
appointment  to  the  boy,"  he  muttered.  "  He  had  hoped  to 
see  the  fall  of  Athens;  but  who  knows  if  ever  we  reach 
Attica?  Here  I  wait,  gnawing  my  beard  like  an  idle  slave, 
while  a  handful  of  beggarly  Greeks  holds  the  pass  against 
my  myriads.  By  Nabon  and  Bel,  I  could  tear  down  yonder 
mountain  with  my  naked  hands !  " 

"  There  is  another  path,  by  way  of  the  gorge  of  the 
river  and  across  the  mountain,  if  my  Greek  guide  is  to  be 
believed,"  said  Nathan  quietly. 

"Another  way?  Who  says  so?  Let  the  fellow  be 
fetched.  If  he  lies,  I  will  have  him  buried  alive." 

"  My  life  is  of  little  value  to  myself,  and  less  to  thee, 
O  Xerxes.  Let  me  take  my  own  company  of  Immortals, 
hardy  mountaineers  all,  and  hazard  the  pass  under  cover 
of  the  darkness.  The  guide  of  whom  I  have  spoken  has 
not  lied  to  me  once  during  the  weeks  he  has  been  in  my 
employ." 

Xerxes  stared  meditatively  at  the  bold  speaker. 

"  You  are  right.  No  man's  life  is  of  value  to  me.  I 
must  have  Athens — otherwise  I  am  not  lord  of  the  world. 
Nevertheless,  I  am  curious  to  hear  why  you  care  not  to  live. 
You  are  young,  and  you  wear  the  king's  crest." 

A  bitter  smile  curled  Nathan's  lips.  "  It  is  already  twi 
light,"  he  said.  "  Shall  I  remain  to  relate  a  long  story  of 
love  and  hate,  or  shall  I  win  the  key  of  Attica  for  the  king?  " 

Xerxes  smote  his  knee.  "  Go,"  he  said,  "  and  Serosh  go 
with  you !  " 

Whether  or  no  Serosh,  the  tall,  the  strong,  the  swift 
messenger  of  Ahura-Mazda,  God  of  the  Persians,  accom 
panied  the  Hebrew,  the  Greek  shepherd  who  played  the 
traitor  to  his  country  that  night  led  a  picked  band  of  the 
Immortals  along  the  steep  goat-track  which  wound  through 
7  91 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


almost  impenetrable  thickets  up  the  precipitous  gorge  of  the 
Asopus. 

"  If  you  are  leading  us  into  a  trap,  Greek,  be  assured  that 
you  shall  die  before  we  do,"  Nathan  told  the  guide. 

And  the  man  answered,  "  Pallas  be  my  witness!  I  have 
nothing  to  lose  which  is  of  value  to  me.  My  son  was  put 
to  death  by  the  soldiers  of  Leonidas,  because  the  lad  at 
tempted  the  defense  of  his  flock  against  their  rapacity.  The 
boy  and  the  flock  were  all  I  had  in  the  world ;  both  are  gone, 
and  I  am  no  longer  a  Greek-— only  a  man  desiring  revenge 
and  death." 

Both  revenge  and  death  were  allotted  to  the  Greek  right 
speedily.  A  thousand  Phocians  had  been  sent  to  guard 
the  gorge,  but  these,  hearing  the  stealthy  movements  of  a 
great  band  of  armed  men,  retreated  a  hundred  paces  to  a 
spot  where  overhanging  rocks  appeared  to  offer  a  better  posi 
tion.  It  was  intensely  dark  and  their  archers  launched 
their  shafts  at  random  in  the  direction  of  the  enemy. 
One  of  these  arrows  sought  the  heart  of  the  Greek,  and 
he  fell  dead  in  his  tracks,  having  earned  for  himself 
undying  ignominy  in  exchange  for  the  revenge  he  had 
courted. 

As  the  gray  daylight  struggled  through  the  overhanging 
foliage  of  the  trees,  Nathan  could  see  the  massed  forces  of 
the  Greeks  in  the  pass  below.  Followed  by  his  Immortals, 
he  ran  rapidly  down  the  steep  path  onto  the  plain  below  and 
closed  in  upon  the  devoted  remnant  of  the  little  Greek  army 
from  the  rear. 

All  Hellas  gained  great  glory  on  that  day,  and  the  echoes 
of  spear  and  shield  have  gone  down  into  history  with  the 
untarnished  glory  of  Leonidas  and  his  three  hundred  Spar 
tans,  who  died,  to  a  man,  in  the  bloody  defile. 

But  at  evening,  Nathan,  prince  of  Edom,  sat  in  his  tent, 
his  head  bowed  upon  his  breast.  He  had  won  a  great  vic 
tory  for  the  foreign  king  he  served,  and  the  camp  was  ring- 

92 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


ing  with  his  name;  but  he  was  sick  at  heart  with  the  sights 
and  sounds  of  barbarous  war,  and  no  pure  memory  of  a 
faithful  love  came  to  cheer  him  as  he  listened  to  the  groans 
of  the  four  hundred  Theban  prisoners  who  were  being 
branded  with  red-hot  irons  as  the  property  of  the  Persian 
monarch. 

His  servant  lifted  the  curtain  of  the  tent  and  stood  be 
fore  him.  "  The  king  asks  for  you,  master  and  prince,"  he 
said,  "  but  you  have  neither  washed  nor  eaten  since  the 
battle." 

Nathan  looked  down  at  his  blood-stained  garments  with 
a  gesture  of  loathing.  "  Bring  me  water,"  he  said,  "  and  I 
will  wash,  but  how  can  I  eat,  who  am  of  all  men  most 
unhappy  ?  " 

The  vision  of  Hadassah,  caught  like  some  bright,  wild 
bird  in  the  hopeless  captivity  of  the  royal  house  of  women, 
seemed  always  to  haunt  him.  Then  the  insolent  bulk  of 
Hege  came  before  him  and  he  ground  his  teeth  in  futile  rage. 
Yet  he  could  not  be  unmindful  of  the  shouts  that  greeted 
him  everywhere  along  the  way  from  his  quarters  to  the 
pavilion  of  the  king.  And  the  wine  of  glory  stirred  his 
pulses  to  a  stronger  beat.  He  would  save  her  yet,  he  prom 
ised  himself,  or  die  in  the  attempt. 

Mardonius,  the  chief  in  command  under  the  king,  ac 
knowledged  his  formal  salute  with  grim  formality.  He 
could  not  bring  himself  to  join  the  acclamations  of  his  sol 
diers  to  this  prince  of  a  captive  race.  But  Xerxes  greeted 
Nathan  with  the  bluff  heartiness  he  could  assume  when  he 
chose. 

"  By  great  Mithra,  Prince,  the  sight  of  you  is  pleasant 
to  my  eyes.  'Twas  no  empty  boast  of  yours  yesterday;  and 
that  mountain  trail  has  served  us  better  than  my  bridge  on 
the  Hellespont,  or  my  canal  through  Athos.  Nathan — do 
they  call  you?  You  are  a  man  who  brings  things  to  pass! 
We  need  such  near  us.  Mardonius,  this  is  the  new  Com- 

93 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


mander  of  the  Immortals.  He  is  a  catapult  that  even  moun 
tains  cannot  stop." 

The  king's  jubilance  seemed  justified  by  the  great  results 
of  the  victory;  the  pass  at  Thermopylae  was  the  one  gate 
way  into  upper  Greece,  so  narrow  that  the  Greeks  might 
well  hope  to  hold  it  against  any  odds.  But  Nathan's  bold 
move  had  dislodged  the  enemy,  and  now  the  Persian  host 
pressed  through  and  poured  like  a  relentless  river  into  the 
Boeotian  plains.  Before  it  lay  defenseless  Athens,  Athens, 
the  hated  enemy  that  had  thwarted  Darius  at  Marathon; 
that  had  for  years  fomented  discontent  among  the  Greek  sub 
jects  of  the  Persian  crown  in  Asia.  Soon  it  would  be  at  the 
mercy  of  Xerxes  to  do  with  as  he  willed.  And  even  his 
Greek  allies  trembled  to  think  what  must  befall  their  beauti 
ful  city  at  the  hands  of  the  merciless  Persian.  But  the 
Greeks  were  resourceful ;  and  if  their  army  was  broken  there 
remained  their  fleet  to  reckon  with. 

During  these  days  of  delay  at  Thermopylae,  the  com 
paratively  'insignificant  squadron  of  three  hundred  Greek 
triremes  gathered  at  Artemisium  had  dauntlessly  faced  the 
Persian  fleet  of  twelve  hundred  ships.  The  Persian  admiral, 
over  confident  in  his  superior  numbers,  had  detached  a  force 
of  two  hundred  vessels  to  sail  around  the  island  of  Eubcea, 
and  attack  the  Greeks  in  the  rear.  The  enemy  learned  of 
this  move,  and  commending  the  flanking  division  to  the  scant 
mercy  of  the  /Egean,  closed  at  once  with  the  invaders.  For 
three  days  the  fight  raged  along  the  shores  of  Artemisium. 
The  sun  was  darkened  by  clouds  of  arrows;  the  roar  of  the 
sea  drowned  in  the  shouts  of  combat,  the  clash  of  steel  and 
the  crash  of  splintering  oak,  as  the  keen  iron  beak  of  ship 
after  ship  sought  its  quarry  in  the  flank  of  some  luckless 
foe;  the  sea  and  shore  were  strewn  thick  with  wrecks  and 
corpses.  And  still  these  two  armadas,  manned  by  the  dom 
inant  races  of  two  opposing  civilizations,  fought  on. 

Xerxes  paced  his  tent  in  wrathful  impatience  as  mes- 
94 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


senger  followed  messenger  with  fictitious  reports  of  success 
which  the  continued  fighting  branded  as  false. 

"  May  a  thousand  devils  fly  away  with  these  fellows!  " 
he  cried,  as  the  day  lengthened  with  no  decisive  dispatch 
from  his  admiral.  "  Cannot  our  sailors  sweep  away  this  ras 
cally  flock  of  sea  peddlers?  I  would,  Mardonius,  that  you 
or  our  catapult  here  were  with  our  fleet.  But  hold,  this  fel 
low  by  his  looks  brings  news  of  import.  Quick!  Let  us 
have  it." 

Mardonius  opened  and  read  to  his  royal  master  unwel 
come  words.  The  fleet  dispatched  to  outflank  the  enemy 
had  been  stormbound  and  dashed  to  ruin  on  the  rocks ;  while 
the  Greeks,  after  learning  of  Thermopylae,  thinking  further 
resistance  at  Artemisium  unprofitable,  had  sailed  away  leav 
ing  forty  shattered  ships  behind.  The  royal  fleet  had  lost 
two  hundred  triremes. 

The  wrath  of  Xerxes  flamed  up  past  all  control.  "  Are 
my  soldiers  all  women,  then  ?  "  he  cried  as  he  glared  upon 
his  attendant  generals.  "  With  twelve  hundred  ships  they 
should  have  crushed  the  enemy  as  I  crush  this  parchment !  " 
and  snatching  the  writing  from  the  hand  of  Mardonius 
he  crumpled  it  within  his  great  fist.  "  Will  none  of 
you  do  anything  but  stand  and  gape?  What  have  you  to 
say?" 

Mardonius,  accomplished  courtier  as  well  as  warrior,  and 
not  unused  to  such  exhibitions  of  royal  displeasure,  pro 
ceeded  to  reassure  the  king  as  best  he  could. 

"  The  King's  Majesty,"  he  said  weightily,  "  has  over 
looked  the  fact  that,  although  the  enemy  have  retreated 
before  your  majesty's  forces,  they  have  not  altogether  es 
caped  us ;  and  also  that  their  losses  are  heavy.  We  were  un 
able  rightly  to  maneuver  our  ships  at  Artemisium,  but  we 
will  attack  the  miserable  remnant  of  their  fleet  on  waters  of 
our  own  choosing.  It  will  serve  us  to  press  on  to  Athens 
before  they  recover  from  panic.  With  their  chief  city  de- 

95 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


stroyed,  they  will  have  nothing  left  to  fight  for,  and  will 
become  subject  to  your  royal  pleasure." 

The  advance  was  ordered  with  all  possible  haste.  The 
king's  anger  against  the  Athenians  grew  shortly  into  fanati 
cal  hatred,  as  he  noted  the  temples  which  arose  on  every  hill, 
enshrining  the  statues  of  their  many  gods;  and  upon  these 
he  vented  his  fury.  The  temple  of  Apollo  at  Delphi  was 
especially  marked  for  destruction,  for  he  had  been  told  that 
the  Greeks  directed  their  movements  by  responses  from  its 
sacred  oracle.  It  was  rumored,  also,  that  vast  stores  of 
gold  and  gems  lay  hidden  in  its  treasure  chamber. 

A  large  detachment  was  dispatched  to  plunder  it  while 
the  army  pressed  toward  the  capital.  The  second  evening 
following,  as  Xerxes  sat  resting  in  his  pavilion,  while  Nathan 
with  other  officers  of  the  guard  stood  near,  a  horseman 
spurred  through  the  camp,  and  seemingly  regardless  of  any 
challenge  dashed  up  to  the  royal  tent  and  flung  himself  at 
the  feet  of  the  king. 

"O  king,  live  forever — I  bear  evil  tidings!"  he  cried, 
and  overcome  with  fear,  lay  trembling  on  the  ground. 

"  Speak,  fellow,  if  you  have  tidings,  tell  them,  good 
or  ill." 

"  My  Lord  King,"  said  the  unhappy  man,  "  the  force  sent 
against  Delphi  is  overwhelmed ;  the  gods  of  Greece  fell  upon 
us  in  a  great  storm  of  lightning  and  hail,  while  the  very 
heavens  bellowed  with  their  war  shout." 

"  And  you  have  come  hither  to  tell  us  of  this  thunder 
storm?  By  my  sword!  you  shall  shortly  visit  the  limbo  of 
these  pagan  gods!  What  of  my  soldiers?  Did  the  hail  kill 
them  all  ?  If  they  be  of  thy  sort,  I  am  well  rid  of  them." 

"  My  Lord  King,  the  remnant  will  soon  be  here.  I  out 
rode  the  others  to  bear  the  tidings  to  the  king." 

"  You  have  borne  your  last  message,  knave,  save  as  you 
carry  the  curses  of  Xerxes  to  Apollo  and  all  the  other  Olym 
pian  deities.  Away  with  the  coward.  Let  him  never  be 

96 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


heard  of  or  seen  again !  "  and  willing  to  hide  his  rage  and 
mortification  Xerxes  retired  within  his  pavilion. 

Unmoved  as  the  king  and  his  generals  might  appear,  the 
army  was  an  easy  prey  to  superstitious  fears.  The  Greek 
mercenaries,  of  whom  there  were  many  thousands  in  the 
camp,  gave  credulous  ear  to  rumors  of  ghostly  warriors  led 
by  the  angry  Apollo,  while  Mars  and  even  Zeus  himself 
were  said  to  be  directing  the  forces  of  the  enemy.  Little 
by  little  disintegrating  terror  crept  through  all  the  Persian 
host. 

An  oracle  brought  back  to  Athens  from  Apollo's  shrine 
at  Delphi  had  said  that  the  Greeks  should  save  themselves 
by  wooden  walls.  And  according  to  their  several  interpre 
tations  of  this  oracle,  some  had  fled  to  the  forests  on  the 
neighboring  mountains;  others  had  taken  refuge  on  board 
the  fleet;  while  a  devoted  remnant  of  a  firmer  faith  and 
courage  had  remained  within  the  ramparts  of  the  Acropolis, 
where  they  fortified  themselves  behind  walls  of  wood.  And 
here  again,  as  at  Thermopylae,  the  millions  of  Xerxes  stood 
helpless  before  the  dauntless  courage  of  a  few.  Day  after 
day  was  wasted  in  vain  assaults,  while  the  king  raged  at  his 
delayed  vengeance  like  a  baited  lion. 

The  Acropolis,  crowned  with  its  fortress  and  many  tem 
ples,  towered  ninety  feet  above  the  plain,  its  summit  acces 
sible  only  by  means  of  a  narrow  and  precipitous  path. 

"  We  waste  ourselves  here,  Mardonius,"  Xerxes  said  to 
his  general,  after  repeated  bloody  repulses  of  his  best  troops. 
"  It  is  useless  to  send  these  fellows  of  the  plain  up  that 
height.  Try  our  Median  mountaineers,  for,  by  Ormazd ! 
they  could  scale  the  very  walls  of  Shushan." 

"  My  Lord  King,"  replied  Mardonius,  "  I  have  already 
so  ordered.  Even  now  your  brave  Medians  are  charging 
the  height." 

The  king  stared  eagerly  at  the  thin  line  of  mountain 
eers  creeping  up  the  steep  pathway.  The  leaders  were 

97 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


quickly  overwhelmed  by  showers  of  stones  and  arrows  from 
above;  still  the  unwavering  line  crept  upward.  The  first 
to  reach  the  wooden  ramparts  were  seized  and  hurled  head 
long,  but  still  the  line  advanced.  Advanced ;  gained  a  foot 
hold  at  the  top,  and  before  the  defenders  were  aware  of  the 
new  peril  that  threatened  them,  the  whole  rampart  was  in 
a  blaze.  Driven  back  by  the  flames,  the  Greeks  were  forced 
from  their  defenses,  and  with  shouts  of  victory,  echoed  by 
the  great  host  in  the  plain  beneath,  the  Medes  swarmed 
over  the  barrier  and  captured  the  garrison. 

With  the  Acropolis,  the  last  defense  of  Athens  had  fal 
len,  and  Xerxes  gave  free  rein  to  his  vengeance,  sweeping 
away  temples,  palaces,  porticoes  and  houses  before  the  fiery 
besom  of  his  destroying  wrath. 

While  the  Persian  king  thus  glutted  his  vengeance  upon 
Athens,  the  Greek  fleet  in  full  retreat  before  the  pursuing 
triremes  of  Persia  had  retired  from  Artemisium  and  gathered 
in  the  Bay  of  Salamis,  while  the  invaders  halted  off  the  coast 
of  Attica,  a  few  miles  away,  their  thousand  great  ships  riding 
proudly  at  anchor  as  if  only  awaiting  the  royal  word  to  en 
gulf  the  paltry  three  hundred  vessels  of  the  foe. 

In  the  Greek  fleet  confusion  reigned.  Several  com 
manders,  thinking  chiefly  of  their  own  cities,  desired  to  sail 
away  to  their  protection;  while  others  saw  no  hope  save  in 
a  courageous  meeting  of  the  enemy  with  a  united  force.  To 
these  Salamis  appeared  the  place  and  the  present  the  time 
to  give  battle. 

Artaphernes,  the  Persian  admiral,  was  walking  the  deck 
of  his  great  trireme  when  an  officer  approached. 

"  Admiral,  we  have  taken  a  deserter  from  the  enemy 
who  gives  important  information.  Will  you  see  him  ?  " 

"  What  need  of  more  information  ?  They  but  wait  the 
hour  of  our  decision.  To-morrow,  it  may  be,  we  will  de 
stroy  them." 

The  inferior  officer  hesitated.  "  The  enemy,  it  appears, 
98 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


are  on  the  point  of  sailing,"  he  said.  "  To-morrow,  the  fleet 
may  be  gone,  and  our  quarry  escaped." 

The  Greek  was  at  once  ushered  into  the  admiral's  pres 
ence,  and  his  skillful  story  accredited  as  being  quite  in  agree 
ment  with  the  facts.  Thereupon  an  instant  move  was  or 
dered,  by  which  the  only  outlet  from  the  Bay  of  Salamis 
should  be  occupied  and  the  enemy  cut  off  from  flight. 

Xerxes,  informed  of  the  sudden  turn  matters  had  taken, 
ordered  his  pavilion  to  be  erected  upon  the  hill  overlooking 
the  bay,  and  at  dawn,  escorted  by  his  guards,  he  ascended 
to  it  with  a  magnificence  aping  the  glory  of  the  sunrise  just 
breaking  over  the  hills  of  Greece.  Seated  upon  his  silver 
throne,  he  looked  proudly  down  upon  the  scene  before  him. 

The  little  Greek  fleet,  like  a  crouched  animal,  lay  hud 
dled  near  the  opposite  shore;  while  the  bay  and  the  straits 
as  far  as  the  king's  eye  could  reach  gleamed  with  the  white 
sails  of  his  war  vessels. 

As  the  Persian  ships  moved  forward  to  the  attack,  the 
Greeks  at  first  retired  a  little  as  if  terrified  at  the  dread 
ful  odds;  then  suddenly,  under  full  power  of  their  oars, 
darted  forth  to  battle,  which  at  once  raged  fiercely  -along 
the  whole  line. 

But  notwithstanding  the  immense  superiority  of  the  Per 
sian  force  and  the  desperate  valor  of  the  men  who  fought 
under  their  king's  eye,  the  tide  of  battle  rolled  steadily  to 
ward  the  monarch's  silver  throne.  His  ships  in  the  front 
line  were  being  driven  back  before  the  fiery  attack  of  Athens 
and  of  Sparta,  while  the  Persian  ships  in  the  rear,  crowded 
together  and  unable  to  use  their  oars  to  maneuver,  soon  be 
came  entangled  in  a  helpless  maze,  upon  the  outskirts  of 
which  hovered  the  swift  enemy,  now  and  again  swooping 
upon  the  doomed  vessels  with  the  deadly  precision  of  a 
hawk  upon  its  quarry. 

As  the  king  gazed  with  anxious  eyes  at  the  doubtful 
conflict,  a  great  trireme  from  whose  masthead  streamed  a 

99 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


long  crimson  pennant  darted  across  the  more  open  water, 
a  Greek  ship  in  hot  pursuit,  and  steering  straight  for  a 
galley  whose  broadside  lay  toward  it,  dashed  with  sharp 
iron  beak  upon  its  exposed  quarter,  splintering  the  long  oars, 
crashing  through  planks  and  timbers,  and  throwing  it  help 
less  on  its  beam's  end. 

Almost  instantly,  it  seemed,  the  sailors  and  galley  slaves 
were  seen  pouring  like  ants  over  the  side  of  the  doomed 
vessel. 

Xerxes  leaned  eagerly  forward.  "  By  all  the  gods  of 
war!  "  he  cried  to  Nathan,  who  stood  beside  his  throne,  "  a 
deadly  thrust  and  a  daring  one !  Who  fights  like  that,  noble 
captain  ?  " 

"  By  the  pennant,  'tis  the  ship  of  Artemesia,  queen  of 
Cappadocia,  my  Lord  King." 

Xerxes  drew  his  black  brows  together  with  a  thoughtful 
frown.  "  I  thought  it  my  admiral's  own  galley ;  but, 
whether  his  or  another's,  a  better  attack  was  never  made. 
'Twould  seem  my  women  fight  like  men  to-day,  and  my  men 
— like  women." 

Fortunate  was  it  for  Artemesia  that  distance  and  the 
confusion  of  the  dreadful  scene  blinded  Xerxes  to  the  dis 
graceful  truth.  For,  hard  pressed  in  the  fight,  the  warlike 
queen  had  turned  to  retreat;  but  finding  herself  hotly  pur 
sued  by  a  swift  Greek  galley,  she  had  treacherously  rammed 
a  Persian  trireme  in  order  to  deceive  her  pursuers  and  throw 
them  off  her  trail. 

This  traitorous  blow  and  cowardly  flight  of  the  great 
woman  warrior  let  panic  loose  among  the  Persian  ships. 
Whatever  hope  of  victory  had  remained  to  the  disheartened 
captains  seemed  utterly  lost.  The  royal  fleet  was  hopelessly 
worsted,  and,  after  a  brief  struggle,  withdrew  across  the 
bay,  where  the  shattered  ships  found  refuge  under  the  pro 
tection  of  the  land  forces  in  the  harbor  of  Phalerom. 

The  stars  in  their  courses  may  not  have  fought  for  Greece 
100 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


on  battlefield  and  sea,  but  it  may  well  be  that  their  power 
was  demonstrated  in  the  cowed  spirit  of  Xerxes.  He 
no  longer  meditated  conquest  and  revenge;  his  thought  was 
only  of  retreat  and  safety. 

Yet,  could  he  have  believed  it,  the  Persian  cause  was 
far  from  hopeless.  His  great  army  had  been  everywhere 
victorious;  the  allies  had  submitted  to  his  power  or  had  been 
driven  from  their  territory.  Only  a  small  part  of  Greece 
remained  unconquered,  and  that  might  have  been  wrested 
from  the  inhabitants  by  mere  force  of  numbers.  The  king's 
fleet,  broken  as  it  was,  still  outnumbered  the  enemy  four 
to  one.  Another  battle  might  have  resulted  in  decisive  vic 
tory.  But  Xerxes  no  longer  desired  to  press  his  advantage; 
he  thought  only  of  his  reverses.  He  realized  his  isolation 
in  a  hostile  country,  far  from  his  own  capital  and  kingdom; 
he  feared  that  the  great  bridge  across  the  Hellespont  would 
be  destroyed  by  the  storms  of  winter,  and  himself  and  his 
army  cut  off  from  retreat.  Moreover,  his  mind  was  i?l 
at  ease  at  the  prospect  of  a  long  absence  from  his  capital, 
ever  fertile  soil  for  plots  and  conspiracies,  and  he  meditated 
much  upon  the  pleasant  life  at  Shushan  as  contrasted  with 
the  undoubted  hardships  of  the  campaign. 

His  admirals  and  generals  quickly  learned  his  changed 
purpose  and  argued  against  it  with  what  persistence  and 
eloquence  they  dared.  But  the  royal  resolve  was  taken,  and 
could  in  this  case  no  more  be  altered  than  the  laws  of  the 
Medes  and  Persians. 

The  fleet  was  dispatched  with  all  haste  to  guard  the 
bridge,  their  speed  quickened  less,  it  may  be,  by  the  king's 
command  than  by  the  Greek  triremes  which  hunted  merci 
lessly  in  their  wake.  But  the  angry  ./Egean  had  done  what 
the  Greeks  could  not  do,  and  though  cowed  by  scourging 
and  appeased  by  gifts  and  libations,  it  had  risen  in  its  fury 
and  cast  off  the  yoke  which  Xerxes  had  vainly  imposed 
upon  it. 

IOI 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


The  humiliated  monarch  was  at  last  forced  to  cross  the 
Hellespont  in  one  of  his  triremes,  and  leaving  his  generals 
to  disband  the  mighty  army,  he  proceeded  with  his  guards 
to  Sardis;  and  from  thence,  with  the  tardy  pace  of  one  who 
feels  that  no  triumph  can  await  his  return,  he  journeyed  to 
Shushan. 


XI 


ERXES  was  striding  up  and  down  his  great 
bedchamber  at  Shushan,  the  palace,  when 
Matacas,  keeper  of  the  royal  seals,  was  an 
nounced.  The  monarch  had  the  look  of  a 
sick  lion,  thought  the  Hebrew,  as  he  bowed 
himself  with  careful  observance  of  the  cere 
monial  etiquette  prescribed  by  custom  and  precedent.  He 
waited  patiently  for  the  king  to  speak ;  but  Xerxes  continued 
to  pace  up  and  down,  his  heeled  shoes  smiting  the  floor,  his 
blue  eyes  fixed  and  frowning,  his  black,  shaggy  hair  flung 
back  from  his  furrowed  forehead.  Several  minutes  passed, 
during  which  the  Nubian  slaves  stood  motionless  at  their 
posts,  swinging  their  great  fans;  the  royal  chamberlains  re 
mained  prostrate  in  the  attitude  they  had  assumed  upon 
entering  the  presence,  and  other  courtiers  in  waiting,  who 
had  assembled  to  attend  the  toilet  of  the  king,  appeared 
to  have  been  transformed  into  statues  of  bronze  and 


ivory. 

At   last    Xerxes   stopped    short. 
103 


"  Out   of    my   sight, 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


slaves!"  he  commanded.  "I  wish  to  speak  with  Matacas 
alone." 

Every  alert  face  instantly  vanished,  as  if  the  heavy  folds 
of  tapestry  had  suddenly  fallen  upon  and  smothered  them. 
The  king  glanced  about  him  impatiently  as  if  to  make  sure 
of  this,  then  he  turned  to  the  waiting  scribe. 

"  Come,"  he  said,  "  let  us  go  out  to  the  terrace ;  this 
place  smothers  me,  and  the  shining  eyes  and  lying  tongues 
and  servile  backs  of  my  slaves  enrage  me.  Sometimes  I  could 
kill  them  all,  from  sheer  weariness  of  seeing  them  always 
crawling  about  my  feet,  and  always  afraid.  Are  you  also 
afraid  of  me,  Matacas  ?  " 

"  You  could  kill  me  if  you  would,  Great  King,  and  I 
am  somewhat  interested  in  living,"  said  Matacas  calmly. 
"  Nevertheless,  I  do  not  find  it  in  my  heart  to  fear  you 
overmuch." 

"  I  knew  it,  and  that  is  why  I  have  sent  for  you.  There 
is  something  about  your  race  which  makes  you  calm,  un 
afraid,  not  slavish,  like  the  Persians.  I  have  seen  it  in  the 
Prince  of  Edom,  who  has  been  of  use  to  me  in  the  army. 
I  see  it  in  you.  What  is  it?  " 

The  Hebrew  made  a  gesture  expressive  of  the  most  pro 
found  reverence.  "  It  is  because  we  serve  a  king  invisible, 
unchangeable,  and  eternal — Elohim,  Lord  of  all  potentates, 
Ruler  of  nations,  the  blessed  God,  to  whom  be  all  praise,  and 
honor  and  glory !  " 

"  My  courtiers  praise  me  in  such  words,  also;  yet  I  have 
been  overborne  and  humiliated.  Listen,  for  I  shall  tell  you 
the  truth,  Matacas.  You  have  heard  the  populace  ascribe 
victory  to  me,  the  king,  with  great  noise  of  shouting  and 
the  abasement  of  many  proud  heads,  but  it  is  a  lie.  I  know 
it,  and  the  generals  of  my  army  know  it.  It  is  true  that  I 
destroyed  Athens ;  but  all  the  defenders  of  the  Acropolis  had 
fled  save  a  few  fanatical  Zealots  whom  I  crucified.  It  is 
true  that  I  killed  Leonidas,  King  of  Sparta,  and  nailed  his 

104 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


headless  body  to  a  cross  for  my  soldiers  to  spit  at;  but  the 
Spartans  held  the  pass  against  my  hundreds  of  myriads  with 
but  a  handful;  and  at  the  last  I  overcame  them  by  stealth 
and  not  in  open  battle.  I,  Xerxes,  have  not  triumphed  glo 
riously,  but  am  ignominiously  defeated.  Here  at  home,  too, 
I  am  of  all  men  most  miserable.  A  man  may  not  speak 
against  the  mother  that  bore  him ;  but  the  daughter  of  Cyrus 
has  reviled  me  to  my  face  for  my  failure.  As  for  Amestris, 
she  has  utterly  changed,  and  I  can  no  longer  endure  her  bit 
ter  reproaches.  The  love  she  once  bore  me  appears  to  have 
turned  to  something  very  like  hatred  during  my  absence,  as 
wine  resembles  vinegar  if  left  too  long  in  the  cup." 

The  low-voiced  monotone  of  the  king's  complaint  had 
flowed  over  the  Hebrew's  bent  head  like  a  turgid  torrent. 
But  at  the  sound  of  the  doomed  queen's  name  he  lifted  his 
eyes  and  gazed  steadily  at  the  king. 

"  Vashti  Amestris  is  no  longer  wife  and  queen,"  he  said, 
in  a  firm  voice.  The  mouth  of  the  king  hath  spoken  it. 
Why  delay  longer  to  fill  her  place  ?  A  wife  and  queen  could 
do  much  to  comfort  the  king  in  this  hour  of  his — sadness." 

"  Why  not  speak  the  word  on  your  tongue,  if  you  fear 
me  not?"  demanded  Xerxes,  with  a  discordant  laugh.  "In 
this  hour  of  my  defeat  a  woman,  were  she  akin  to  my  soul, 
might  indeed  comfort  me.  But  how  shall  I  find  such  an 
one?" 

"  There  are  many  beautiful  women  gathered  in  Shushan 
for  the  king's  choosing,"  said  Matacas,  discreetly,  though  he 
was  conscious  of  a  great  trembling  in  all  his  limbs. 

"  So  Hege  tells  me ;  and  so,  also,  I  know ;  but  'tis  not 
beautiful  bodies  that  I  require  to  medicine  these  mortal  hurts 
of  mine.  I  want — I  need — love.  Do  you  know  what  love 
is,  Matacas?  " 

"Yes,  I  know;  but  she — died — long  ago,  in  Baby 
lon;  and  with  her  died  something  of  myself.  I  have  not 
wholly  lived  since." 

105 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  And  such  a  love  as  yours,  Matacas,  I,  King  of  Media 
and  Persia,  have  never  known,  can  never  know.  The  maid 
ens  yonder  in  my  palace,  whom  Hege  has  gathered  from 
every  corner  of  my  kingdom  and  beautified  with  every  art 
known  to  his  kind,  look  upon  me,  Xerxes,  not  as  a  man,  but 
as  a  royal  beast,  a  lion  who  mercilessly  devours  their  beauty. 
They  fear  me;  cringe  in  my  presence;  tremble  in  my  grasp; 
their  eyes  cannot  meet  mine;  they  do  not  speak  even  save  as 
Hege  has  taught  them  some  mincing  phrases.  They  reek  of 
perfumes  and  glitter  with  gems  like  the  votive  offerings  to 
Mithra  we  sacrificed  at  Abydos.  How  can  I  love  such 
women  ?  How  shall  I  find  among  them  a  queen  of  my  heart 
and  of  my  kingdom,  a  woman  worthy  to  wear  my  heavy 
crown?  " 

Matacas  had  grown  very  pale ;  his  eyes  gleamed  strangely 
under  his  shaggy  brows. 

"  There  is  a  princess  of  Babylon  in  Shushan,  who  has  not 
yet  been  presented  to  the  king,  who  could  love,  if  she  were 
wooed  by  a  man  and  not  by  a  king.  She  is  worthy  to  wear 
the  crown  of  Media  and  Persia." 

"  You  have  never  yet  lied  to  me,  Matacas.  What  is  the 
woman's  name?  " 

"  Her  name  is — Esther." 

Xerxes  was  silent  for  a  long  minute.  "  I  will  woo  this 
Esther,"  he  said,  "  not  as  a  king,  but  as  a  man.  If  I  can 
win  her  to  my  heart  she  shall  be  my  queen;  not  otherwise. 
I  have  said  it.  But  how  to  do  it?  Counsel  me  further, 
Matacas." 

"  There  are  many  ways  in  which  to  win  a  woman's  love," 
said  Matacas,  slowly.  "  It  cannot  be  roughly  forced,  nor 
yet  frightened  into  being.  It  grows  up  slowly  and  unfolds 
into  beauty  even  as  a  rose  relaxes  its  petals  to  the  south  winds 
of  summer.  Woo  the  maid  gently  and  in  all  honor.  But 
first  see  her.  She  may  not  please  the  king." 

"  I  will  see  her,  and  that  at  once.  Already  you  have 
1 06 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


cheered  me,  Matacas,  and  given  me  thoughts  of  hope.  Go 
now,  and  Ormazd  be  kind  to  thee !  " 

As  Matacas  passed  slowly  down  the  corridor  leading 
from  the  king's  chamber,  he  appeared  calm  and  grave  as 
was  his  wont;  yet  the  thoughts  burning  beneath  his  severe 
and  tranquil  exterior  might  have  utterly  astonished  the 
watchful  courtiers  who  marked  his  departure  with  jealous 
or  curious  eyes. 

A  man  in  the  gorgeous  robes  of  a  privy  counselor,  at 
tended  by  pages  and  slaves,  before  whom,  also,  many  pros 
trated  themselves  in  token  of  reverence,  stopped  short  at 
sight  of  the  preoccupied  face  and  unbending  figure  of  the 
scribe. 

"  Has  the  Jew,  Matacas,  become  suddenly  blind  that  he 
neglects  the  lawful  obeisance  to  Haman,  chief  of  the  royal 
household  ?  "  he  demanded,  with  a  sneer. 

The  keeper  of  the  seals  lifted  his  eyes  and  fixed  them 
calmly  upon  the  arrogant  figure  of  the  man  before  him. 

"  Since  Haman,  son  of  Hammedatha,  is  aware  of  my 
nationality,  he  cannot  be  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  a  Jew 
may  not  abase  himself  before  an  Amalekite,"  he  said,  with 
scathing  emphasis,  and  passed  on. 

The  chief  counselor,  choking  in  his  beard  with  rage, 
swore  a  great  oath  by  the  nine  attributes  of  Ormazd  that 
he  would  punish  the  insolent  Jew,  who,  as  a  captive,  was 
little  better  than  a  slave.  Then  he  swept  on,  followed  by 
his  servants,  into  the  presence  of  his  royal  master,  where  he 
prostrated  himself  to  kiss  the  floor  at  the  feet  of  the  king. 
For,  unlike  the  Jewish  scribe,  he  was  exceedingly  and  in 
creasingly  afraid  of  Xerxes. 


XII 

HE  Hebrew  woman,  Abihail,  bearing  in 
both  hands  a  great  jar  of  rose-scented 
water,  paused  before  the  screened  doorway 
leading  to  the  smallest  of  the  three  apart 
ments  devoted  to  the  use  of  her  mistress. 
She  had,  without  understanding  the  reason, 
grown  almost  afraid  of  the  girl  she  had  once  chided  and 
petted  with  impartial  fondness.  Hadassah — or  Esther,  as 
she  was  called  always,  in  these  days — had  grown  very  tall 
and  stately,  and  her  eyes,  once  like  the  wondering  eyes  of  a 
little,  innocent  child,  had  changed  to  the  eyes  of  a  woman 
who  has  thought  deeply,  and  who  has  therefore  suffered. 

The  old  woman  coughed  discreetly.  "  May  I  enter  with 
the  water  for  your  bath,  Princess?  "  she  asked  humbly. 

The  girl  herself  drew  the  curtains  to  one  side.  "  Come 
in,  good  Abihail,"  she  said.  "  I  am  glad  it  is  morning,  and 
that  you  have  come.  I  have  not  slept  since  the  dark  hours 
of  the  night.  I  fancied  I  heard  the  sound  of  revelry,  and  a 
great  stir  of  feet  afar  off,  and  I — was  afraid." 

108 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  What  could  hurt  you  here,  my  lamb  ?  "  purred  the 
woman,  pouring  water  into  a  silver  basin.  "  Come,  let  me 
lave  your  hands  and  face;  then  you  will  be  refreshed  and 
ready  for  what  must  come." 

"What  will  come,  Abihail?" 

"  How  should  I  know,  beautiful  one?  Suppose  it  were 
a  visit  to  a  grand  garden  in  which  are  great  fountains,  and 
wondrous  plots  of  flowers,  and  many  singing  birds?  There 
are  such  in  the  palace,  and  you  have  been  long  a  prisoner." 

Esther  turned  very  pale.  I  have  never  rightly  under 
stood  why  Mordecai  brought  me  to  this  place,"  she  said,  in 
a  low,  tremulous  voice,  "  but — sometimes  I  have  longed  to 
be  back  in  the  house  by  the  gate,  with  my  pigeons  to  feed 
and  the  little  brown  birds  flying  about.  You  used  to  scold 
me  then,  Abihail,  because  I  burned  the  cakes  in  the  baking. 
I  think  I  should  like  it — to  be  scolded ;  and  Mordecai — am  I 
never  to  see  him  again,  who  was  father  and  mother  alike  to 
one  who  was  left  alone  in  the  world  ?  " 

"  They  call  him  Matacas  here,"  said  Abihail,  drying  the 
beautiful  little  hand  of  her  mistress  with  soft  pattings  of 
the  linen  towel.  "  He  is  quite  well ;  I  see  him  often." 

"But  I  do  not  see  him — why?" 

Abihail  shook  her  head,  eying  the  face  of  her  charge 
with  sly  anxiety.  "  You  have  me  always  with  you,  and  what 
more  can  you  desire,  eh  ?  " 

Esther  made  no  reply,  but  surrendered  herself  to  the 
skilled  hands  of  the  woman  with  a  vague  sigh. 

"  See  now,  beautiful  Princess,  I  am  about  to  clothe  you 
in  the  garments  which  the  worshipful  and  excellent  Hege 
sent  here  for  your  use  yesterday.  You  would  not  look  at 
them  then,  because  you  were  reading  from  one  of  your 
scrolls;  but  you  must  needs  see  them  now.  Come,  will  you 
wear  the  rose  color,  or  this  tissue  of  blue  and  silver  ?  " 

Esther  looked  coldly  at  the  rich  garments  spread  out  for 
her  inspection. 

109 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  I  should  like  best  to  wear  my  kirtle  of  blue  and  white 
and  the  mantle  of  stuff  you  fashioned  for  me  long  ago,"  she 
said,  dreamily.  "  The  Prince  of  Edom  thought  me  fair 
in  them." 

She  leaned  forward  and  touched  the  woman  gently. 
"  Nay,  do  not  finger  those  foolish  robes  as  if  you  loved 
them;  no  one  here  sees  me  save  the  birds,  and  they  love  me 
in  whatever  robe  I  wear,  and — and  tell  me,  dear,  good  Abi- 
hail,  have  you  seen  him  ever?  or  have  you  heard  anything 
about  him  ?  " 

Abihail  pursed  up  her  thin  lips  severely.  "  If  you  are 
speaking  of  Nathan,  son  of  Asa,"  she  said,  "  I  can  tell  you 
that  he  has  returned  alive  from  the  wars,  which  is  not  what 
I  looked  for." 

"  He  has — returned  ?  Oh,  Abihail,  did  you  speak  with 
him?  Do  you  think " 

"  I  think  nothing  of  that  young  man,  and  I  should  ad 
vise  you,  mistress,  to  do  likewise.  He  is  not  for  such  as  you. 
I  saw  him  talking  with  a  female  slave  named  Dinora,  and 
she  gave  him  a  letter,  from  some  woman,  I  suppose.  I  saw 
it  with  my  own  eyes.  He  has  forgotten  you." 

"  Forgotten  me  ?  That  could  not  be,  Abihail.  Nathan 
could  never  forget  me.  Does  he  know  I  am  here  ?  " 

The  woman  held  up  a  sleeveless  tunic  of  exquisite  em 
broidered  stuff.  "  Come,  sweet  Princess,  let  me  arrange  your 
dress,"  she  said  coaxingly.  "  I  did  not  tell  you  at  the  first 
because  I  wished  to  see  your  surprise  and  joy;  but  it  is  true 
that  to-day  you  are  to  visit  that  beautiful  garden  of  which 
I  spoke.  Hege  himself  will  fetch  you  there,  and  bring 
you  back." 

"  Who — will  be  in  that  garden  ?  I — I  think  you  are 
keeping  something  from  me,  Abihail." 

"Fear  nothing,  Princess,"  Abihail  said  soothingly;  "'tis 
but  a  mark  of  the  privilege  with  which  you  are  treated  as 
the  guest  of  the  king." 

no 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"Am  I  the  king's  guest,  Abihail?  But  why?  I  am  no 
great  person  that  the  king  should  so  honor  me." 

"  You  are  a  princess  of  Israel,  hence  worthy  of  all 
honor."  Abihail  clapped  her  hands.  "  Now  your  jewels, 
and  all  is  finished!  " 

At  the  signal  the  seven  maids  who  had  been  appointed  to 
the  service  of  the  Babylonian  princess — as  Esther  was  called 
in  the  palace — appeared,  carrying  various  articles  of  the  toi 
let,  and  gathered  about  their  mistress  with  soft  notes  of  affec 
tion  and  pleasure.  A  Greek,  with  languishing  dark  eyes  and 
merry  lips,  threw  a  net  of  pearls  over  Esther's  dark  hair; 
another  touched  her  lips  and  throat  with  rare  perfume;  a 
third  knelt  at  her  feet  to  fasten  the  dainty  slippers  with 
their  high  golden  heels,  while  others  stooped  to  arrange  the 
diaphanous  folds  of  her  long,  open  sleeves  which  half  re 
vealed  the  rounded  arms  beneath.  Almost  before  she  was 
aware  of  it,  the  girl  stood  robed  with  all  the  exquisite  com 
pleteness  of  a  Persian  princess. 

She  turned  a  face  of  wistful  sweetness  upon  her  attend 
ants,  murmuring  her  thanks  for  their  gentle  offices;  but  her 
eyes  hid  a  frightened  look  in  their  depths  that  pierced  Abihail 
to  the  heart. 

"  Do  not  tremble  so,  my  lamb,"  she  whispered  in  the 
Hebrew  tongue.  "  Jehovah  will  guard  you  from  all  evil." 

The  girl's  face  brightened  as  she  drew  her  slender  figure 
to  its  queenly  height.  "  I  am  not  afraid,"  she  answered  in 
the  same  tongue.  "  Elohim  is  with  me ;  the  God  of  my 
fathers  will  set  me  on  high,  because  I  have  trusted  in  Him." 

"  There  is  but  one  thing  wanting,  and  I  will  supply  it," 
observed  a  purring  voice  from  behind. 

Esther  turned  her  head  and  beheld  Hege,  the  chief  cham 
berlain,  standing  at  her  side.  Instinctively  she  feared  and 
disliked  this  man,  though  in  the  perfect  innocence  of  her 
heart  she  could  not  have  explained  the  reasons  for  her 
feelings. 

Ill 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  The  mantle,"  continued  Hege,  bowing  himself  obse 
quiously  in  acknowledgment  of  the  timid  greeting  of  the 
girl,  "  let  it  be  white,  with  faint  bands  of  blue,  like  the 
sky  overhead." 

He  shook  out  the  folds  of  a  silken  garment  and  fastened 
it  deftly  to  the  girl's  shoulders  with  clasps  of  pearl  and  gold. 
"  Spread  it  out  more  upon  the  train — so;  "  he  spoke  sharply 
to  the  maids.  "  And  now  replace  the  silken  girdle  with 
this  one,  pearl  and  gold,  to  match  the  shoulder  clasps.  Now 
a  rose — half  blown;  only  one,  slave;  give  it  to  me;  I  will 
fasten  it  with  the  art  which  no  other  possesses.  Ah!" 

The  great  master  of  toilets  and  expert  in  beauty  stood 
off  to  observe  the  effect  of  the  changes  he  had  made  in  the 
exquisite  picture  before  him. 

"  The  necklace  is  too  clumsy  for  that  slender  throat,"  he 
observed  at  length.  "  Nevertheless,  I  will  not  remove  it,  if 
you  wish  to  wear  it,  gracious  princess." 

"  I  will  wear  whatever  pleases  you,  good  Hege,"  said 
Esther,  in  her  low,  sweet-toned  voice;  "the  necklace  is 
heavy,  but  my  maids  put  it  on  me." 

"  Take  it  off,  and  replace  it  with  this,"  ordered  Hege. 

Wonderingly  the  maids  obeyed,  their  ringers  trembling  as 
they  touched  the  great  pear-shaped  pearl  depended  from  a 
single  engraved  emerald  of  untold  value.  The  gems  were 
held  by  a  slender  chain  of  Etruscan  gold. 

"  You  are  to  be  honored  by  being  permitted  to  visit  the 
king's  private  gardens  to-day,  Princess,"  said  the  chamber 
lain,  "  but — ah — do  not  disturb  yourself,  I  beg.  The  king 
will  not  be  present.  The  great  Xerxes  bade  me  say  to 
Esther,  Princess  of  Babylon,  that  the  gardens  are  hers  for 
the  day.  You  are  at  liberty  to  take  any  or  all  of  your  maids 
with  you." 

In  the  garden  which  had  been  built  for  Xerxes  at  the 
east  of  the  royal  house,  one  might  forget  the  world  of  care 
and  pain  and  poverty  which  lay  far  down  in  the  city  streets 

112 


"SHE    TUKMEU    A    FACE    OF    WISTFUL   SWEETNESS    UI'ON     HEK    ATTENDANTS,     Ml   KJIIK- 

ING     II Ell    THANKS." 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


below,  and  wander  at  ease,  like  a  soul  in  Paradise,  aware 
only  of  peace  and  beauty.  All  that  the  skill  and  art  of  world- 
famed  architects,  landscape  gardeners  and  florists  could  do 
to  beautify  the  spot  had  been  done  at  enormous  cost.  Slaves 
had  toiled  and  died  under  the  lash  ere  the  great  stones  which 
formed  its  unseen  foundation  had  been  hewn  out  of  the  dis 
tant  mountains;  caravans  bearing  precious  marbles  and 
stuffs  had  made  their  way  through  scorching  deserts  in  the 
teeth  of  the  deadly  sandstorm;  travelers  had  penetrated  poi 
sonous  swamps,  and  perished  with  fever  on  the  banks  of 
lonely  rivers  to  gather  the  bright  exotics  and  rare  lilies  that 
bloomed  in  many  a  pool  and  grotto ;  blood  and  treasure  with 
out  stint  had  been  poured  out;  groans,  tears,  the  breath  of 
the  dying,  and  the  curses  of  the  dead  had  gone  to  make  a 
place  so  fragrant,  so  calm,  so  bright  with  sunshine,  so  cool 
with  refreshing  shadow,  so  filled  with  the  whisper  of  green 
leaves  and  the  murmur  of  many-voiced  fountains,  so  radiant 
with  the  white  sheen  of  lilies  and  the  glory  of  roses  that  the 
girl  who  entered  there  cried  out  with  delight  and  wonder. 

"  No  one  will  question  you  or  disturb  you,  gracious  Prin 
cess  ;  you  will  go  wherever  it  pleases  you  within  the  confines 
of  the  garden ;  refreshments  will  be  served  whenever  you 
desire  in  the  pavilion  yonder,"  Hege  had  said.  "  I  will  see 
that  you  are  conveyed  safely  to  your  apartments  at  the  hour 
of  sunset.  There  is  a  gardener  at  work  yonder  among  the 
roses;  but  do  not  heed  him.  He  is  both  deaf  and  blind  to 
all  save  his  flowers." 

The  girl  scarcely  heeded  the  parting  words  of  the  great 
official,  who  had  discreetly  withdrawn  after  obeying  the 
commands  of  the  king.  She  was  intent  only  upon  exploring 
the  fascinating  depths  of  the  glorious  garden  which  stretched 
away  before  her  in  alluring  vistas. 

"  Oh,  come !  "  she  cried  to  her  chosen  companions,  two 
pretty  Greeks  of  about  her  own  age,  "  let  us  see  whither 
this  turfed  path  roofed  with  roses  will  lead  us." 

"3 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


The  gardener  who  worked  among  the  roses  lifted  his 
bent  shoulders  and  stared  keenly  after  the  girlish  figures,  as 
they  passed  down  the  green  vista.  After  a  little  he  picked 
up  his  tools  and  followed  them,  skirting  the  soft  turf  of  the 
path  by  way  of  the  garden  beds  across  which  he  strode,  ruth 
lessly  crushing  the  blossoms  in  his  way. 

There  was  a  fountain  at  the  far  end  of  the  rose  walk, 
throwing  up  myriad  jets  through  golden-throated  flowers 
wrought  of  pink  marble,  and  about  it  were  circular  benches 
heaped  with  many  soft  cushions;  but  the  girl  did  not  pause 
to  rest;  after  her  long  imprisonment,  the  bubbling  life  with 
in  leaped  up  joyously  like  the  liberated  waters  of  the  foun 
tains.  She  laughed ;  she  sang ;  she  even  gathered  up  her  long 
draperies  and  ran,  light  as  a  faun,  across  the  velvet  turf  of 
a  lawn  shaded  by  blossoming  trees. 

"  Let  us  rest  here  where  we  can  see  the  blue  of 
heaven  through  the  trees,"  she  said  at  last.  "  How  kind 
of  the  great  king  to  think  of  the  pleasure  of  a  lonely  girl 
whom  he  has  never  seen,  and  cannot  care  for.  How,  sup 
pose  you,  Rhodagune,  came  the  king  to  bethink  him  that  I 
was  weary — oh,  so  weary  of  the  confines  of  my  little  gar 
den,  beautiful  as  it  is  ?  " 

The  Greek  girl  shook  her  head.  "  I  cannot  even  im 
agine,"  she  said.  "  But  perchance  some  one  has  spoken  to 
the  king  of  the  beautiful  princess,  someone  who  knows  how 
kind,  how  good,  how  lovely  she  is." 

Esther  sighed.  "Do  you  love  me,  Rhodagune?"  she 
asked,  gently,  "  and  you,  too,  Eunice?  I  am  glad,  then,  for 
it  is  better  to  be  loved  than  to  have  jewels  and  beautiful 
dresses.  Nay,  there  is  nothing  so  sweet  in  all  the  world 
as  love." 

"  Everyone  loves  you,"  cooed  Eunice,  bending  to  kiss 
the  hand  of  her  mistress.  "  You  never  strike  us,  your  serv 
ants,  nor  scream  with  rage  when  you  are  not  pleased  with 
your  toilet  or  your  food." 

114 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


Esther  turned  her  dark  eyes  upon  the  girl  with  a  look 
full  of  astonishment.  "  Who  could  be  so  cruel  as  to  do 
such  things — surely  not  a  woman?  " 

"  The  Princess  of  Thebes,  whose  apartments  are  near 
yours  in  the  palace,  gracious  princess,  is  like  a  lioness  in  her 
displeasure.  She  struck  one  of  her  slaves  yesterday  with  a 
silver  mirror,  and  blinded  the  girl,  because  the  slave  had  lost 
a  jeweled  hairpin  which  she  prized.  They  say  the  Egyp 
tian  will  be  queen  some  day." 

"  You  should  not  talk  of  such  things,  Eunice,"  Esther 
said,  with  gentle  dignity. 

"And  wherefore  not,  honorable  Princess?  Everyone  in 
the  palace  is  talking  of  the  king,  and  of  his  choosing  a 
queen.  They  say  he  has  already  rejected  a  score  of  maidens, 
and  one  can  hear  them  weeping  with  rage  and  disappoint 
ment  in  the  little  palace  beyond  the  marble  lions.  They 
go  there  to  stay  always  unless  their  friends  are  permitted  to 
take  them  away." 

Esther  trembled  with  the  vague  terror  which  of  late  had 
visited  her  whenever  she  turned  her  thoughts  upon  the  baf 
fling  enigmas  which  surrounded  her. 

"  Nevertheless  we  will  not  speak  of  what  does  not  con 
cern  us,"  she  said  firmly.  "  See,  we  have  a  beautiful  day, 
all  ours,  by  the  kindness  of  the  great  king,  and  we  will  not 
think  of  tears." 

The  Greek  girls  exchanged  wondering  glances.  They 
feared  to  disobey  their  mistress,  gentle  as  she  was,  for  an  im 
passable  barrier  appeared  to  exist  between  the  beautiful  girl 
and  all  base  or  ignoble  thoughts.  But  was  it  possible  that 
she  did  not  understand  her  own  position  in  the  palace  ?  Had 
no  one  told  her?  They  wondered  and  held  their  peace. 

They  wondered  yet  more  when  at  midday  noiseless  slaves 
served  a  wonderful  banquet  in  a  marble  pavilion  hung  with 
draperies  of  white  and  blue.  The  Greek  girls  stood  on 
either  side  of  their  mistress  while  she  ate  daintily  of  the  ex- 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


quisite  viands  served  in  dishes  of  gold  and  crystal.  It  was 
all  quite  incomprehensible;  yet  they  felt  sure  that  something 
lay  behind  this  show  of  kingly  hospitality,  which  had  not 
been  tendered  to  any  other  of  the  beautiful  women  who  were 
prisoners  of  the  king's  capricious  will. 

At  the  hour  of  sunset  Hege  returned  but  without  the 
curtained  litter.  "  It  is  the  king's  will,"  said  this  powerful 
individual,  "  that  the  Princess  of  Babylon  shall  henceforth 
reside  in  apartments  better  suited  to  her  requirements.  I 
am  directed  to  conduct  her  to  rooms  communicating  with 
this  garden,  which,  for  the  present,  will  be  reserved  for  her 
sole  use.  She  will  find  all  her  attendants  within ;  also  other 
servants." 

Esther  fixed  her  large  eyes  on  the  chief  chamberlain,  the 
startled  color  fluttering  in  her  soft  cheeks. 

"  The  great  king  overwhelms  me  with  his  gracious  fa 
vor,"  she  faltered.  "  I  know  not  how  to  thank  him." 

That  night  Esther  slept  in  an  ivory  bed,  in  a  room  as 
fairylike  in  the  beauty  and  luxuriousness  of  its  appointments 
as  the  moonlit  garden  without,  where  the  breath  of  myriads 
of  roses  swept  by  on  every  breeze,  and  the  haunting  melody 
of  the  nightingale  filled  the  night  with  sweetness  and  peace. 


XIII 

OR  many  days  Esther,  Princess  of  Babylon, 
enjoyed  the  wonders  of  the  king's  garden 
and  house  in  such  peace  and  solitude  as  the 
increased  numbers  of  her  servants  and  the 
splendor  of  her  toilets  permitted,  and  al 
ways  the  silent  gardener  worked  among  the 
flower-beds  and  followed  her  movements,  himself  unob 
served.  As  the  days  passed  and  the  girl  became  somewhat 
more  familiar  with  her  surroundings,  she  discovered  that 
new  beauties,  fresh  surprises  awaited  her  with  every  return 
ing  morning.  One  day,  she  discovered  a  flock  of  snowy 
doves,  which  fluttered  down  at  her  call  to  feed  from  her 
hand;  another  day,  bands  of  unseen  musicians  played  ravish- 
ingly  on  stringed  instruments;  a  third  day,  great  stores  of 
jewels  were  spread  out  for  her  choosing;  and  when  she 
feared  to  touch  them,  she  was  told  it  was  the  king's  pleasure 
that  she  select  and  wear  such  ornaments  as  pleased  her  best. 
At  every  turn  she  was  made  to  feel  the  well-nigh  illimitable 
power  and  wealth  of  the  giver  of  all  that  she  enjoyed;  and 

117 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


it  was  hardly  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  maiden's  thoughts 
should  turn  with  more  and  more  wonder  and  gratitude 
toward  the  unseen  king,  who  appeared  so  deeply  interested 
in  the  welfare  of  a  stranger. 

On  the  seventh  day,  as  she  sat  pensively  watching  the 
reflection  of  quivering  green  leaves  in  the  placid  pool  of  a 
.fountain,  she  heard  a  step  behind  her,  and  started  up  in 
alarm  at  the  sight  of  a  splendidly  attired  man.  Her  maids 
dropped  upon  their  knees  with  little  cries  of  fear  and  amaze 
ment  for  they  had  at  once  recognized  the  dark-bearded  face 
and  the  peculiarly  shaped  headdress  with  its  spotted  fillet  of 
violet  and  white,  worn  only  by  the  king. 

"  Do  not  be  frightened,  I  entreat  you,  Princess,"  said  the 
man,  and  his  voice  held  a  pleading  note  that  touched  the 
girl's  heart  in  spite  of  her  instinctive  fear;  "and  do  not 
kneel  to  me.  I  forbid  it." 

For  Esther  had  sunken  to  her  knees  before  him,  and 
would  have  touched  his  feet  with  her  forehead.  He  lifted 
her  and  stood  looking  down  at  her  with  open  anxiety. 

"  I  wished  to  know — to  ask  you — as  to  whether  my 
orders  had  been  carried  out.  Are  you  happy  here,  Prin 
cess?" 

Esther  looked  up,  and  meeting  the  troubled  blue  eyes 
bent  so  earnestly  upon  her,  replied  quite  simply,  as  she  would 
have  answered  Mordecai: 

"  I  am  very  happy,"  she  said  in  her  low,  sweet  voice, 
"  and  very  grateful  to  the  king." 

A  flood  of  clear  color  rushed  into  the  girl's  pale  cheeks, 
as  her  eyes  fell  upon  the  frightened  faces  of  her  maids.  "  I 
am  not — "  she  began,  and  stopped  abashed.  "  I  know  not 
how  to  speak  aright  to  the  great  king.  No  one  has  taught 
me." 

"  I  will  teach  you,"  said  Xerxes,  and  smiled,  as  if  well 
pleased.  He  motioned  to  the  attendants,  and  they  drew 
back,  out  of  sight,  if  not  out  of  hearing. 

II* 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  Come,  sit  here  upon  the  bench,  Princess,  and  do  not  be 
afraid  of  me.  I  could  not  bear  that,  and  yet,  it  is  natural." 

He  spoke  as  if  more  to  himself  than  to  the  maiden. 

"  It  is  not  usual  for  a  woman  of  your  rank  to  talk  freely 
with  a  man,"  he  said,  after  a  silence,  "  but  I  desire  above  all 
things  to  be  able  to  talk  with  you.  I  wish  to  know  your 
thoughts.  I  wish  to  tell  you  mine." 

To  Esther,  with  her  Jewish  training,  this  proposal  did 
not  in  itself  seem  astonishing.  She  had  been  accustomed  to 
associate  freely  with  Mordecai  and  certain  chosen  ones  of 
his  friends  in  the  modest  freedom  of  home.  To  talk  to  a 
man,  therefore,  did  not  appear  to  her  either  strange  or  im 
possible. 

"  The  king  does  me  great  honor,"  she  said,  simply. 

"  I  wish  to  do  you  honor,  Princess ;  and  in  return  I  beg 
of  you  the  greatest  of  all  honors — your  friendship." 

The  word  was  almost  unknown  in  the  Persian  tongue 
when  used  to  describe  the  relations  between  a  man  and  a 
woman.  But  the  king  used  it  unhesitatingly.  He  was  bent 
upon  trying  an  experiment,  and  one  that  promised  him  a 
satisfaction  he  had  not  dreamed  of. 

"  How  may  I  be  the  king's  friend?"  asked  Esther,  her 
dark  eyes  filled  with  pure  amazement.  "  But  it  is  true  that 
I,  also,  have  no  friends,  and  I " 

"  You  need  a  friend ;  I  am  sure  of  that ;  then  be  mine, 
Princess,  for  I,  King  of  Persia  and  Media,  have  no  friends." 

The  king's  voice  held  a  sadness  that  his  courtiers  and 
counselors  had  never  heard.  His  pride,  they  knew;  his 
ofttimes  despotic  cruelty,  they  feared;  but  the  lonely  soul 
beneath  the  royal  purple  no  man,  and  certainly  no  woman, 
had  ever  yet  been  permitted  to  approach. 

Esther's  quick  sympathy  was  touched.  For  the  moment 
she  forgot  that  the  man  who  spoke  thus  despondently  was  a 
king. 

"  I  will  be  your  friend,  if  you  wish,"  she  said,  in  a 
119 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


low  voice;  but  her  eyes  shone  with  the  beautiful  tenderness 
she  felt  always  for  every  creature  that  suffered. 

"If  we  are  to  be  friends  we  must  henceforth  drop  all 
ceremony,  dear  Princess,"  he  said,  after  a  little  silence. 
"  You  must  not  speak  to  me — or  think  of  me  even  as  the 
Great  King — nay,  I  am  weary  of  the  title ;  it  means  nothing 
any  more,  unless  I  can  gain  what  to  me  is  the  whole  world." 

Again  he  was  silent,  his  blue  eyes  kindling  with  the  un 
wonted  thoughts  which  surged  through  his  brain.  He 
looked  earnestly  at  the  girl's  beautiful  face;  but  the  mere 
loveliness  of  its  color  and  outline  meant  little  to  him,  who 
for  the  first  time  in  his  life  sought  the  soul  beneath. 

"Do  you  think,"  he  went  on,  "that  you  can  do  this? 
I  will  see  you  only  here,  in  this  sweet  spot,  which  truly 
seems  a  heaven  of  peace  to  me  to-day.  Will  you  try, 
Esther?" 

At  the  sound  of  her  new  name  on  the  king's  lips  the 
girl  grew  exceedingly  pale.  "  I — I  do  not  understand,"  she 
faltered.  "  I  cannot — think " 

"  Do  not  hesitate  to  tell  me  what  is  in  your  mind,"  he 
urged.  "  Remember  you  have  promised  to  be  my  friend,  and 
there  can  be  no  love  where  fear  has  first  entered.  See, 
Esther,  this  pretty  pool  that  reflects  the  blue  sky  and  the 
shining  leaves  and  the  white  clouds  that  float  far  above; 
your  eyes  resemble  the  clear,  translucent  water,  and  they  are 
telling  me  that  you  do  not  altogether  trust  me." 

The  girl's  long  lashes  fell  in  startled  amazement.  "  I 
will  tell  you  the  truth,"  she  said  at  last,  her  voice  low  and 
tremulous.  "  I  wondered — I  could  not  help  wondering  why 
the  king  should  care  to  make  me  his  friend.  I  am  not  great, 
nor  rich,  nor  wise.  I  am  only  what  you  see,  a  foolish  maid, 
with  little  wit  and  less  learning." 

She  bowed  her  head  with  a  humility  which  became  her 
as  the  dewdrop  becomes  the  lily. 

The  king  bent  his  head  toward  her  with  a  smile.  "  I 
1 20 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


also  will  tell  you  the  truth,  Esther;  I  was  ever  sad  and 
lonely,  for  in  spite  of  all  that  my  courtiers  say,  I  have  suf 
fered  great  losses  and  defeats  in  the  wars  abroad.  And  here 
at  home — "  He  stopped  short,  and  gazed  at  the  girl  with 
piercing  keenness.  "  You  know,  of  course,  that  I  have  been 
obliged  to  put  away  my  queen  ?  You  have,  doubtless,  spoken 
of  it  often." 

The  girl  shrank  from  him  almost  imperceptibly.  "  I  do 
not  talk  of  the  king  with  my  attendants,"  she  said,  proudly, 
"  and  I  have  seen  no  one  else  since  I  came  to  the  palace." 

"  True,"  murmured  Xerxes,  "  I  gave  orders  that  it 
should  be  so.  Then  your  maids  do  not  speak  to  you  of  what 
goes  on  in  the  palace  when  they  brush  your  hair  or  arrange 
these  wonderful  toilets?"  His  eyes  glanced  at  her  magni 
ficent  dress  with  a  gleam  of  humor. 

Esther  returned  his  look  calmly.  "  The  other  day,  for 
the  first  time,  one  of  my  maids  spoke  to  me  of  an  Egyptian 
princess,  whom,  said  they,  would  be  queen." 

"  And  what  more  did  they  tell  you  of  the  Theban?  She 
is  very  beautiful,  is  she  not  ?  And  very  good  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  answer  the  king,  for  I  know  not." 

"  Then  you  think  it  nothing  that  she  saw  fit  to  blind  a 
slave  with  a  blow  of  her  silver  mirror?  Would  such  a 
woman  be  fit  mate  for  Xerxes,  think  you?  Nay,  if  we  are 
to  be  friends,  why  not  tell  me?  " 

"  I  could  not  love  such  a  woman,"  hesitated  the  girl ; 
"  but " 

"  But  you  think  I  might  be  able  to?  Was  that  your 
thought?" 

She  shook  her  head.  "  I  do  not  know  whether  kings  and 
queens  love  like — like  commoner  folk.  It  was  of  that  I 
was  thinking." 

The  king's  brow  grew  dark  as  midnight.  "  What  is  a 
king,  then,  that  he  may  not  love  like  a  man?  And  why 
should  you  as  well  as  everyone  else  believe  that  I  am 

121 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


incapable    of    a    true    and    pure    affection  ? "      He    sighed 
bitterly. 

"  I  do  not  believe  it,"  faltered  Esther,  amazed  at  the 
effect  her  simple  words  had  wrought.  "  I  did  not  think  it, 
even.  I  have  never  presumed  to — to  think  about  the — king 
and  his  private  affairs." 

He  turned  suddenly  and  took  the  girl's  hand  in  both 
of  his.  "  As  you  hope  for  happiness,  tell  me  the  truth, 
girl.  Do  you  not  know  why  you  are  here,  in  my  palace? 
Has  not  Hege  or  one  of  your  own  slaves  told  you?  And 
observe,  I  do  not  even  know  where  you  came  from.  I  know 
nothing  of  you  save  that  a  man  whose  words  I  value  above 
most  told  me  that  you  were  worthy  of  my — of  a  king's 
friendship.  And  I  snatched  at  his  words  as  a  thirsting  man 
snatches  at  a  draught  of  clear  water.  I  think  I  could  not 
bear  it  to  be  disappointed — thwarted  of  my  wishes — now!" 

Great  drops  of  sweat  had  started  out  on  the  king's  fore 
head;  his  piercing  gaze  held  the  soft  eyes  of  the  girl  as 
though  he  would  read  her  inmost  thoughts. 

Esther  trembled  beneath  the  lightning  of  his  eyes,  and  a 
wordless  prayer  ascended  to  the  God  of  her  fathers.  She 
spoke  after  a  little  silence,  and  the  words  fell  calmly  from 
her  beautiful  lips. 

"  I  will  answer  the  king  truly,  as  I  hope  for  any  hap 
piness — and  of  late  I  have  hungered  sorely  for  happiness. 
I  do  not  know  why  I  am  in  the  king's  palace.  I  was  brought 
here  many  months  ago.  I  have  seen  no  one  since  save  Amy- 
tis,  the  daughter  of  the  king." 

He  interrupted  her  with  a  startled  exclamation.  "  Did 
the  princess  tell  you  nothing  of  the  gossip  of  the  palace?" 
he  demanded  peremptorily. 

"  It  pleased  the  princess  to  ask  me  many  questions ;  but 
we  talked  chiefly,  then  and  afterwards,  of  the  scrolls  con 
taining  Persian  poetry,  and  of  the  flowers  that  grew  in  the 
garden." 

122 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  Auramazda  grant  that  you  are  telling  me  the  truth," 
murmured  the  king,  fingering  his  beard  with  bent  brows. 

Esther  looked  down,  her  eyes  filling  with  tears. 

"  I  think,"  she  said  coldly,  "  that  we  cannot,  after  all, 
be  friends.  Will  the  king  graciously  permit  that  I  be  sent 
back  to  my — to  the  place  from  whence  I  came?"  She 
looked  at  him  fearlessly,  her  dark  eyes  brimmed  with  water, 
which  presently  dropped  off  her  lashes  in  two  large  shining 
tears. 

"What  are  you  saying?"  demanded  Xerxes,  with  a 
frown.  "  How  dare  you  dictate  to  me  in  such  bold  fash 
ion?" 

Then  he  smote  his  knee  with  impatient  wrath.  "  I  per 
ceive  what  you  are  thinking,"  he  exclaimed ;  "  you  mean  that 
you  cannot  endure  to  have  me  doubt  your  word  or  your 
truth.  Is  it  not  so?  " 

"  It  is  true  that  I  thought  it.  And  it  is  of  itself  true," 
the  girl  answered  proudly. 

"  And  by  the  throne  of  Mithra  you  are  right,  Princess ! 
If  you  could  permit  me  to  doubt  you,  you  were  no  fit  mate 
for  a  king  who  hates  and  despises  a  lie." 

The  girl's  startled  look  recalled  him  to  the  significance  of 
his  impetuous  words. 

"  I  have  frightened  you  by  what  I  said  just  now,"  he 
said  gently.  "  I  beg  that  you  will  not  again  think  of  it, 
though  I  spoke  honestly,  and  out  of  the  depths  of  my  heart. 
But  you  will  be  my — friend  ?  " 

Esther's  downcast  face  became  slowly  suffused  with  a 
glorious  rose,  while  the  loud  beating  of  her  heart  sang  in 
her  ears  and  shook  the  silken  tissues  of  her  bodice.  Of  a 
sudden  the  fire  in  the  imperious  blue  eyes  of  the  king  seemed 
to  kindle  an  answering  flame  on  the  white  altar  of  her  soul. 

"  I  will  try  to  be,"  she  said — and  her  voice  held  the 
solemn  deeps  of  the  ages  that  had  been,  that  were  and  that 
were  to  be — "  always  and  most  truly — the  king's  friend." 
9  123 


XIV 

EW  In  the  palace,  save  his  most  trusted  serv 
ants  and  the  erstwhile  scribe,  Matacas,  who 
was  now  often  with  the  king  in  the  hours 
of  his  privacy,  were  aware  of  the  strange 
wooing  in  the  garden;  but  it  could  not  be 
hidden  longer  when,  by  order  of  the  King's 
Majesty,  the  Princess  of  Thebes  together  with  all  the  other 
royalties  and  semiroyalties  lodged  in  the  king's  house,  were 
first  feasted  with  unheard  of  magnificence,  then  loaded  with 
gifts,  and  sent  away  to  their  respective  homes  in  distant 
provinces,  without  once  seeing  the  monarch  whose  throne 
each  had  openly  expected  to  share. 

The  queen  mother,  now  parmount  in  authority  in  the 
woman's  household,  had  thrice  presented  herself,  it  was  ru 
mored,  demanding  audience  with  her  son,  and  each  time  she 
had  been  refused.  The  rage  of  the  royal  lioness  had  been 
fearful  to  witness,  and  the  slaves  and  eunuchs  who  guarded 
the  king's  privacy  trembled  like  reeds  in  the  wind,  even 
while  they  presented  an  immovable  front  to  her  angry  de 
mands. 

124 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


On  the  fourth  day  thereafter  the  haughty  Atossa,  re 
duced  to  employing  milder  measures,  sent  one  of  her 
eunuchs  to  the  king  with  an  arrogantly  humble  request  for 
his  company  at  a  banquet  to  be  served  in  the  queen's  house. 

"  The  daughter  of  Cyrus,  the  wife  of  Darius,  and  the 
mother  of  Xerxes,  prostrates  herself  before  the  throne  of 
the  Great  King,  and  begs  that  he  will  do  her  the  honor  of 
supping  with  her  to-night,"  were  the  words  conveyed  to 
the  king.  Xerxes  frowned,  for  he  knew  right  well  that  the 
day  of  reckoning  was  at  hand. 

"  Tell  the  queen  mother  that  I  will  be  present,"  he 
said,  and  dismissed  the  messenger  with  scant  ceremony. 

There  was  much  of  wearisome  and  irritating  business  to 
demand  the  king's  attention  that  morning  as  he  sat  in  his 
accustomed  seat  under  the  vast  columned  portico.  Mardo- 
nius,  the  general  whom  Xerxes  had  left  in  Thessaly  with  a 
picked  army,  informed  the  king  by  special  messengers  of 
various  losses  and  disasters  to  the  troops  under  his  com 
mand,  and  requested  large  reinforcements  in  view  of  his  de 
termination  to  again  occupy  Attica.  Several  maritime  prov 
inces  which  had  been  greatly  depleted  in  the  late  disastrous 
war  failed  to  send  their  full  quota  of  tribute;  a  threatened 
revolt  in  Egypt  again  demanded  the  royal  attention.  It  was 
broadly  hinted  to  the  king  in  this  connection  that  the  un 
ceremonious  rejection  of  the  Princess  of  Thebes  might  fo 
ment  the  trouble  into  actual  insurrection.  The  great  Ha- 
man  skillfully  represented  the  cause  of  the  Egyptian  aspi 
rant  to  the  throne  of  Persia,  and  urged  the  king  to  recall 
his  order  to  the  royal  chamberlains;  he  was  ably  seconded 
by  the  envoys  of  the  Egyptian  satrap,  Meres,  who  entreated 
the  king  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  cement  the  wavering  re 
lations  between  Egypt  and  the  Persian  throne. 

Xerxes  heard  them  all  in  stony  silence;  then  he  gave  a 
few  brief  orders  to  the  scribes  concerning  supplies  and  forces 
to  be  sent  to  the  relief  of  Mardonius. 

125 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  As  for  the  honorable  Princess  of  Thebes,"  he  said,  "  the 
lady  has  already  left  my  palace  with  a  large  escort  of  Per 
sian  cavalry,  which  may  serve  to  soothe  the  fears  of  Meres. 
Should  it  not  accomplish  my  purpose,  a  second  and  a  third 
escort  will  shortly  follow." 

At  the  end  of  the  hearing  the  king  hastily  withdrew, 
leaving  various  unfinished  matters  in  the  hands  of  Haman, 
the  Amalekite,  who,  through  his  superior  insight  and 
knowledge  of  the  royal  character,  had  risen  to  a  position  of 
great  influence  in  the  court. 

On  this  day  Haman  had  great  ado  to  pacify  the  enraged 
representatives  of  Meres;  but  he  accomplished  his  purpose 
at  length,  when  he  informed  the  Egyptians  that  Xerxes  had 
ordered  that  each  of  them  should  be  presented  with  a  thou 
sand  gold  darics. 

"  Anything  could  be  bought  with  the  king's  gold,"  ar 
gued  Haman,  and  in  his  high  office  he  made  what  use  of  it 
he  chose,  not  forgetting  himself  and  his  growing  importance. 

The  Amalekite  bore  a  more  lofty  front  than  even  his 
wont,  as  he  passed  with  his  retinue  of  servants  through  the 
Hall  of  Columns  and  out  upon  the  King's  Terrace  beyond. 
Queen  Atossa  had  commanded  the  privy  counselor  to  visit 
her  in  her  royal  apartments,  a  privilege  freely  accorded  to 
the  mother  of  the  king,  but  rarely  used. 

The  queen,  magnificently  attired,  sat  upon  a  sort  of  ivory 
throne,  which  she  had  ordered  constructed  with  a  special  view 
of  enhancing  her  fading  beauty  and  lessening  authority. 
Curtains  of  rose-colored  stuff  cast  warm  reflections  upon 
her  worn,  eager  face  and  thin,  restless  hands,  hands 
which  of  late  had  wasted  into  the  unlovely  semblance  of 
talons. 

"  Tell  me,"  she  began  abruptly,  when  Haman  had  fin 
ished  his  careful  genuflexions  before  her  lofty  seat,  "  you 
who  know  the  king,  who  see  him  freely  and  in  all  moods, 
what  is  he  doing  about  the  matter  of  the  queen  ?  " 

126 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  Surely  the  divine  mother  of  Majesty  cannot  be  un 
aware  that " 

Atossa  struck  her  staff  sharply  upon  the  dais  in  front  of 
her  chair. 

"  If  the  divine  mother  of  Majesty  was  aware  of  what 
she  wished  to  know,  she  would  not  have  sent  for  Haman," 
she  said,  sharply.  "  The  king  has  not  honored  me  with 
his  confidence  of  late.  I  only  know  that  he  has  ordered  the 
House  of  Women  cleared  of  its  occupants;  and  that  already 
workmen  are  demolishing  the  place  preparatory  to  remodel 
ing  the  interior  into — what?  That  is  one  thing  I  want  to 
know.  Is  it  not  good  enough  for  the  creatures  that  oc 
cupy  it?" 

"  I  can  answer  the  Queen's  Majesty  on  that  point  very 
exactly,"  responded  Haman.  "  The  House  of  Women  is 
in  process  of  becoming  the  queen's  palace.  It  must  be  fin 
ished  ready  for  occupancy  in  the  month  Tebeth,  which  is 
at  hand,  and  on  the  tenth  day;  else  the  hundred  workmen, 
the  fifty  gardeners  and  Belnothus,  the  chief  overseer  of 
palaces,  will  be  put  to  death." 

Atossa  sneered.  "  And  what  pretty  creature  expects  to 
occupy  this  palace  ?  "  she  asked.  "  Has  the  king,  then,  dared 
to  choose  a  consort  without  consulting  me?  I  have  selected 
Artisonna,  Princess  of  Pasargadas,  for  him,  and  she  is  even 
now  under  my  protection.  I  did  not  permit  her  removal." 

Haman  raised  his  eyes  to  heaven  as  if  in  amaze  at  this 
bold  statement.  "  Is  the  divine  Atossa  not  aware  that  the 
Babylonian  princess,  called  Esther,  has  been  removed  to  the 
king's  house,  and  that  she  remains  there?" 

"Remains  there — the  Babylonian  princess!  What  are 
you  telling  me?  The  woman  should  have  been  taken  to  the 
House  of  the  Lions.  What  is  Hege  about?  I  shall  call 
him  to  account  for  this." 

"  Nay,  but,  Madam  and  Queen,  I  entreat  you  to  remem 
ber  that  all  has  been  done  according  to  the  king's  orders." 

127 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  But  not  according  to  precedent  of  the  Court  of  Media 
and  Persia,  and  even  a  king  must  bow  to  the  customs. 
Xerxes  has  forgotten  himself  strangely.  He  should  not  have 
neglected  my  counsels,  who  am  daughter,  wife,  and  mother 
of  kings,  and  whose  word  is  law  regarding  such  matters. 
And  who  is  this  woman — Esther — they  call  her?  She  can 
be  no  great  beauty  if  she  is  Babylonish;  they  are  black  and 
ugly  creatures.  And  Princess  of  Babylon?  What  means 
the  title?  Whose  daughter  is  she?  She  cannot  engage  the 
king's  attention  long  if  she  is  ugly  and  unknown." 

"  It  is  said  that  the  king  will  surely  marry  the  Baby 
lonish  woman  within  the  month,  most  beautiful  of  all 
queens." 

Atossa's  angry  face  did  not  soften  at  this  empty  com 
pliment.  She  bent  forward  and  stared  keenly  at  the  gor 
geous  figure  and  sneering  eyes  of  the  courtier. 

"  You  have  been  somewhat  successful  of  late  in  winning 
for  yourself  the  king's  favor,"  she  said,  after  a  short  silence. 
"  I  have  heard  much  of  your  unprecedented  rise  and  of  your 
vast  influence  over  my  son;  but  I  can  tell  you  one  thing, 
Amalekite,  Xerxes  would  cast  you  out  of  his  presence  like 
a  dead  dog  if  he  knew  what  happened  in  Ecbatana  five 
years  ago.  Xerxes  despises  a  debtor,  and  I  believe  he  would 
strangle  a  liar  with  his  naked  hands.  You  are — have  been 
both,  and  worse,  much  worse." 

Haman's  dark  face  had  become  the  color  of  clay  as  he 
listened  to  these  contemptuous  words  of  the  woman  who 
bent  forward  to  look  into  his  startled  eyes  with  an  ugly 
laugh. 

"Who,"  he  gasped,  "has  betrayed  me?  or  rather,  what 
bold  person  has  defamed  me?  I — I  have  done  nothing  that 
an  honorable  man  may  not  do." 

"  I  meet  Xerxes  at  supper  to-night,"  continued  Atossa, 
drawing  back  her  wrinkled  lips  over  the  fine,  even  teeth 
which  the  years  had  spared  her.  "  Let  us  suppose  that  I 

128 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


entertain  him  with  the  story  of  Merodach  and — No?  Shall 
I  not  even  speak  the  word  ?  " 

Haman  had  thrown  himself  at  the  foot  of  the  ivory  dais, 
and  was  clasping  the  feet  of  the  queen  in  the  depths  of  his 
abasement. 

"  Do  not,"  he  entreated,  "  speak  further!  I  am  the  beau 
tiful  queen's  slave." 

"And  as  my  slave  you  will  obey  me?  Then  find  out 
for  me  concerning  this  woman,  who  contrives  to  engage  the 
king's  fickle  favor.  I  wish  to  know  her  origin,  her  past, 
everything  about  her.  Do  you  hear  ?  " 

"  I  hear,  great  Queen,  and  from  henceforth  to  hear  is 
ever  to  obey.  I  will  do  what  I  can ;  but  the  king  is  power- 
iul  and  I  am  also  his  servant." 

"  If  you  are  not  altogether  a  fool  you  will  find  a  way 
to  obey  me  and  serve  the  king,  too,"  Atossa  said  sharply. 
"  Go  now,  and  do  not  return  till  you  can  tell  me  what  I 
would  know." 

That  night  the  Queen  Atossa  entertained  the  King's 
Majesty  at  supper,  and  she  did  not,  on  that  occasion,  stint 
her  hospitality  nor  her  smiles.  Magnificently  attired,  she 
had  yet  permitted  her  gray  hair  to  remain  ungilded,  and  no 
cosmetics  had  been  used  .to  restore  her  faded  and  pallid  face 
to  a  lurid  semblance  of  youth.  The  result  was  astonishing 
in  the  extreme;  Xerxes  stared  at  his  mother  with  real 
anxiety. 

"  You  are  ill,  Queen  and  Mother,"  he  said.  "  Why  have 
I  not  been  informed  of  this  before?  " 

Atossa  sighed  profoundly.  "  It  has  appeared  impossible 
for  me  to  engage  the  king's  attention  during  the  past  days," 
she  said  plaintively.  Thrice  begged  I  his  attendants  to  ad 
mit  me  to  the  private  garden  of  the  king,  a  spot  heretofore 
always  open  to  the  king's  family;  and  thrice  baseborn 
menials  have  dared  to  bar  the  portals  in  my  very  face.  Tell 
me,  O  Xerxes,  was  this  your  wish?  Do  you  then  desire  to 

129 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


subject  the  mother  who  bore  you  to  insult  and  the  derision 
of  slaves?  " 

Xerxes  swore  by  all  the  gods  that  he  did  not,  plucking 
savagely  at  his  great  beard,  as  he  was  accustomed  to  do  when 
his  passions  were  aroused. 

"  Then  you  did  not  order  the  doors  of  your  garden  shut 
against  me?"  persisted  Atossa,  herself  filling  the  king's 
gemmed  goblet  to  the  brim  with  an  especially  strong  and 
delicious  wine  made  in  her  own  vineyards  at  Helbon. 

"  It  is  true  that  I  ordered  my  gardens  closed  against  all 
intruders,"  the  king  said,  evading  her  searching  gaze.  "  But 
I  did  not  intend  to  insult  my  mother — Auramazda  for 
bid!" 

"  Why,  then,  could  I  not  enter  ?  What  could  have 
transpired  within  that  sacred  inclosure  which  was  forbidden 
to  my  eyes?  Nay,  do  not  answer  me;  for  I  perceive  that 
I  am  despised,  cast  aside;  forgotten,  even  as  an  outworn 
garment;  but  it  will  not  be  long  that  I  shall  trouble  you, 
my  son!  I,  who  have  thought  of  naught  but  thee  through 
a  long  and  weary  life,  am  about  to  pass  into  the  silent  land 
of  the  invisible  gods.  My  breath  will  soon  be  taken  away, 
and  there  will  be  naught  left  to  the  king  of  her  who  set 
him  upon  his  father's  throne,  at  the  very  risk  of  her  life,  save 
cold  and  empty  clay!  " 

The  queen's  reference  to  the  troublous  times  which  pre 
ceded  the  succession  of  Xerxes  to  the  Persian  throne  was  not 
without  its  wonted  effect  upon  the  king.  He  breathed  hard 
and  murmured  a  pious  wish  for  the  queen's  preservation. 

"  You  have  forgotten,  perhaps,  that  Artabaganes,  the 
eldest  son  of  your  father  by  a  baseborn  wife,  would  have  put 
you  to  death  when  you  were  a  child  had  not  I  stood  guard 
over  you  like  a  lioness  over  her  cub,"  Atossa  went  on,  with  a 
dramatic  uplift  of  her  still  beautiful  eyes.  "  It  was  I  who 
pointed  out  to  Darius  that  you  were  the  son  of  the  king  and 
doubly  entitled  to  occupy  the  throne,  since  through  me  you 

130 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


continued  the  blood  of  the  great  Cyrus.  That  you  live; 
that  you  are  the  Great  King,  you  owe  to  me,  and  to  me 
alone !  " 

The  king's  head  sank  forward  upon  his  breast.  It  had 
been  the  habit  of  his  queenly  mother  to  refer  to  his  early 
and  vast  obligations  to  herself  in  the  most  poignant  terms; 
but  never  before  had  he  looked  upon  her  gray  hair,  and  her 
pallid  and  sunken  features  wrought  upon  his  generous  and 
impulsive  feelings  as  the  astute  queen  had  foreseen.  He  bent 
forward  and,  taking  her  thin,  white  hand  in  his,  lifted  it  to 
his  lips  with  the  new  gentleness  love  had  taught  him. 

"  Ormazd  forbid  that  I  should  ever  forget  any  slightest 
duty  and  obligation  to  you,  my  mother  and  queen,"  he  said 
in  a  low  voice.  "  Tell  me  what  I  can  do  to  make  you  well 
and  happy,  and  I  will  do  it  to  the  half  of  my  kingdom.  For 
there  is  no  one  whom  I  so  reverence,  and  to  whom  I  would 
more  willingly  do  honor." 

Atossa  sighed  and  hesitated,  with  the  air  of  one  who  has 
ceased  to  be  interested  in  worldly  things. 

"  The  king,  my  son,  has  not  yet  deigned  to  taste  of  my 
poor  vintage,"  she  murmured  at  length.  "  Drink,  my  son, 
and  let  your  heart  be  uplifted,  for  the  thing  that  I  shall 
ask  of  you  is  a  very  little  thing,  and  does  not  involve  the 
giving  up  of  a  province  or  of  any  power.  But  first,  drink,  I 
entreat  you !  " 

He  raised  the  golden  goblet  to  his  lips;  but  the  queen 
observed  with  displeasure  that  he  scarce  tasted  its  contents. 

"  Alas !  I  perceive  that  you  do  not  like  my  wine,  the 
rich  vintage  of  Helbon,"  she  said  sharply.  "  I  had  it  ex 
pressed  and  ripened  for  the  use  of  the  king  alone.  Meaner 
lips  shall  not  quaff  it ;  but  if  it  please  not  the  King's  Majesty, 
I  will  command  it  to  be  thrown  into  the  river  with  the  slaves 
that  made  it;  perfihance  the  gods  will  not  disdain  the 
offering." 

"  The  wine,"  said  Xerxes,  with  a  deliberate  gentleness 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


new  to  him,  "  is  excellent,  but  I  shall  not,  on  that  account, 
allow  it  to  confuse  my  mind.  I  wish  to  give  my  entire  at 
tention  to  the  matter  you  require  of  me,  Mother  and  Queen. 
It  is,  you  say,  a  small  thing;  if  this  be  so,  rest  assured  that 
you  shall  not  long  wait  the  gratification  of  your  wish." 

"  A  little  thing,  a  very  little  thing,"  repeated  Atossa, 
with  an  artificial  smile.  "  But  we  have  been  too  serious,  son 
of  mine,  at  this  my  banquet.  If  I  must  die  soon,  I  would  at 
least  be  merry  while  I  live.  See,  here  are  the  dice  in  this 
cup  of  emerald.  Let  us  now  make  a  jest  of  my  request.  We 
will  throw,  and  if  the  king  wins  thrice,  I  will  not  beg  of 
him  the  small,  the  very  small  favor  I  have  in  mind.  But 
if  the  gods  grant  me  grace  and  I  win,  the  king  shall 
give  me  his  royal  promise  to  do  as  I  shall  ask,  and  grant 
me  the  trifling  favor  which  I  will  then  present  before 
him." 

The  king's  hand  had  already  grasped  the  cup;  for  he 
dearly  loved  the  pastime  of  dice  throwing;  then  he  paused, 
hesitated  and  slowly  set  it  upon  the  table. 

"  Come,  excellent  Majesty,  throw,  and  let  us  see  what 
is  the  will  of  the  gods,"  said  Atossa,  concealing  her  eagerness 
under  a  show  of  careless  mirth ;  "  Is  it  the  king's  pleasure 
that  I  throw  first  ?  " 

"  We  will  not  throw  the  dice  till  you  have  explained 
to  me  your  wishes,"  the  king  said,  slowly.  "  I  like  not  to 
make  promises  when  my  brain  is  fogged  with  wine,  nor  yet 
to  stake  my  honor  upon  the  chance  throw  of  the  dice.  Such 
unthinking  pledges  have  cost  me  dear  in  the  past,  and  of 
this  the  Queen's  Majesty  cannot  be  unaware." 

His  words  were  cold  and  measured,  and  Atossa  per 
ceived  with  rage  that  he  was  not  to  be  entrapped  into  com 
pliance  by  any  of  the  usual  easy  methods  she  had  counted 
upon. 

She  picked  up  the  dice  cup  and  hurled  it  passionately 
upon  the  floor. 

132 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  I  will  tell  you  what  I  demand  of  you,"  she  said 
loudly.  "  And  observe  that  I  say  demand;  for  it  is  of  my 
right  and  privilege  that  I  shall  be  consulted  in  the  matter 
of  choosing  the  queen  and  consort  of  the  king.  You  have  a 
Babylonish  woman  shut  up  in  yonder  garden  of  yours — nay; 
do  not  deny  it.  I  have  sure  knowledge  of  the  fact.  And 
this,  of  itself,  does  not  greatly  interest  me.  You  may  select 
from  the  common  herd  what  creatures  you  will  for  your 
private  amusement;  they  do  but  swell  the  retinue  of  my 
slaves  when  you  have  cast  them  aside.  But  you  shall  not 
set  an  unknown  woman  above  me,  the  thrice  royal  Atossa. 
And  this  I  swear  by  all  the  attributes  of  Ormazd !  I  swear 
it!  I  swear  it!  " 

The  voice  of  the  aged  queen  had  risen  to  a  shrill  scream ; 
her  thin  hands  shook;  her  eyes  glared  with  uncontrollable 
rage. 

The  king  sprang  up  from  his  place,  his  features  black 
with  anger. 

"  If  you  were  any  other  save  my  mother,"  he  said,  in  a 
low,  hardly  controlled  voice,  "  you  should  die,  and  that 
within  the  hour.  "  Listen,  woman ;  you  have  insulted  the 
Majesty  of  Persia;  you  have  insulted  the  queen  to  be,  and 
you  have  blasphemed  the  name  of  the  All-wise,  since  you 
know  not  what  you  swear.  Go  to  your  women  and  let  them 
give  you  a  sleeping  potion.  You  are  not  fit  to  speak  with 
me  further." 

But  Atossa  had  clasped  his  feet  with  wild  entreaties  for 
pardon. 

"  Look  upon  my  gray  hairs,"  she  sobbed,  "  and  judge 
whether  I  would  lightly  speak  evil  of  Majesty !  Do  not  leave 
me,  my  son;  but  tell  me,  I  entreat  you,  of  this  woman,  this 
queen  to  be,  as  you  have  called  her.  See,  now  I  am  calm, 
quite  calm  and  reasonable!  Do  not  leave  me  to  eat  out  my 
heart  in  loneliness  over  your  harsh  words.  Ah !  I  knew  you 
would  not  refuse  to  listen  to  my  prayers." 

133 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


The  king  had  raised  her  gently  and  replaced  her  upon 
her  couch;  but  he  still  towered  above  her,  dark  and  threat 
ening  as  a  thundercloud,  while  she  babbled  weakly  of  her 
love  for  her  son,  of  her  adoration  of  his  majesty,  of  her 
entire  willingness  to  be  subject  to  his  will." 

He  stopped  the  flow  of  half-insane  ravings  with  a  per 
emptory  gesture. 

"  I  have  this  much  to  say  to  you,  Queen  and  Mother," 
he  said  coldly.  "  I  am  about  to  marry  Esther,  Princess  of 
Babylon;  and  I  shall  also  place  upon  her  head,  in  the  sight 
of  all  my  court  and  of  the  princes  and  governors  of  my  prov 
inces,  the  double  crown  of  Persia  and  Media.  For  this  is 
my  royal  will  and  pleasure.  And  to  you  I  say  further,  who 
are  more  powerful  in  my  house  than  is  perhaps  safe  and 
best,  that  if  but  a  hair  fall  from  the  head  of  my  chosen  queen, 
and  that  loss  be  traced  to  you,  you  shall  die  the  death  of  a 
slave,  were  you  thrice  my  mother  and  the  veritable  founda 
tion  of  my  throne." 

Atossa  stared  at  her  son  with  wide  blue  eyes  out  of 
which  every  trace  of  expression  save  that  of  terrified  sub 
mission  had  faded. 

The  king  looked  down  at  the  woman's  white  face,  and  a 
gentler  expression  stole  over  his  harsh  features. 

"  Mother,"  he  said,  and  at  the  tender  word  his  voice 
shook  with  emotion,  "  when  I  was  but  a  little  lad  I  used  to 
— love  you.  And  you,  despite  your  soaring  pride  and  well- 
nigh  boundless  ambition,  loved  me.  Is  it  not  so?  " 

The  woman  eagerly  murmured  her  assent. 

"  If  I  had  not  loved  you,  would  I  have  risked  life  and 
happiness  for  your  sake?  "  she  again  reminded  him. 

"  I  am  well  assured  of  your  devotion,"  he  told  her;  "  and 
so  I  hope  you  will  understand  me  when  I  tell  you  that  I 
love  Esther.  She  has  risen,  a  beautiful  star  of  hope  and 
joy,  upon  the  black  night  of  my  ruined  life.  For,  mother, 
king  though  I  am,  I  have  not  been  a  happy  man.  You  mar- 

134 


THE   STAR   OF  LOVE 


ried  me  in  my  early  youth  to  Amestris;  and  I  was  true 
to  her,  though  she  was  little  more  than  a  beautiful,  soulless 
child  in  those  days;  and  since  has  changed  evilly  to  an  un 
lovely  similitude  of  wrath  and  sorrow.  I  know  now  that 
I  never  loved  her.  She  was  not  worthy.  But  I  love  my 
queen,  my  wife  that  is  to  be.  And  for  the  first  time  in  my 
life  I  am  happy.  I  came  here  to-night  prepared  to  tell  you 
this;  but  you — nay;  I  could  not.  Will  you  grant  me  your 
good  wishes,  mother?  " 

Atossa  raised  herself  upon  one  elbow  and  regarded  her 
son  with  the  steady  malevolent  gaze  of  a  tigress  about  to 
spring  upon  its  prey. 

"  The  king  does  me  great  honor,"  she  murmured. 
"  Nay,  I  could  scarce  have  dreamed  of  such  a  tale  of  con 
quest  over  a  royal  heart.  'Tis  vastly  entertaining,  I  swear; 
let,  I  pray  you,  the  bards  and  singers  of  Persia  be  summoned 
forthwith  to  weave  this — this  pretty  idyl  into  song,  that  all 
the  common  people  may  hear  thereof  and  rejoice.  But 
surely  great  Xerxes  does  not  expect  that  the  seven  hereditary 
princes  and  the  governors  and  chiefs  of  the  army,  whose 
daughters  he  has  cast  aside  without  ceremony  will  unite  in 
the  praise  of  this — this  woman — this  unknown  and  unher 
alded  Princess  of  Babylon!  " 

"  I  have  twice  told  you  whom  I  shall  crown  as  wife  and 
queen,"  said  the  king,  coldly.  "  I  will  tell  you  once  again, 
since  age  appears  to  have  dulled  your  senses;  the  maiden's 
name  is  Esther." 

"  The  maiden's  name  is — Esther"  repeated  Atossa,  with 
sneering  emphasis.  "  And  who — if  the  king  can  inform 
me — is  Esther?  Of  what  nationality  is  she?  For  many 
nations  gather  in  Babylon.  Who  is  her  father?  Who  her 
mother?  From  what  palace  did  she  come?  Answer  me, 
my  son,  as  you  will  be  forced  to  make  answer  to  your  people 
on  the  day  of  your  espousals." 

"  I  will  not  answer  you,  woman ;  nor  shall  I  be  forced — 
135 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


as  you  dare  to  suggest — to  answer  any  subject  of  mine  who 
shall  presume  to  question  me  concerning  my  choice  of  a 
queen.  It  is  enough  that  I  love  her,  and  that  she — God  in 
heaven  grant  that  I  be  not  deceived  in  this! — loves  me." 


XV 

STHER,  the  elect  lady  and  queen,  chosen  by 
the  most  powerful  monarch  in  the  world, 
to  be  the  sharer  of  his  throne  and  the  mis 
tress  of  his  heart,  stood  like  any  commoner 
maid  of  Shushan  before  her  mirror,  her 
eyes  filled  with  tears  of  perplexity.  She 
had  been  brought  to  realize  at  length  and  little  by  little  the 
dizzy  eminence  upon  which  her  royal  lover  had  placed  her; 
and  she  longed,  womanlike,  for  some  one  to  scatter  the  many 
fluttering  fears  and  anxieties  which  thronged  her  mind.  Abi- 
hail,  the  ancient  serving  woman,  had  been  mysteriously  re 
moved  from  her  person,  since  her  arrival  in  the  king's  house. 
And  of  the  crowd  of  servants  who  surrounded  her  night 
and  day,  obsequiously  ready  to  obey  her  slightest  wish,  not 
one  appeared  to  Esther  in  the  guise  of  a  friend.  In  the  eyes 
of  her  household  she  was  already  the  queen,  and  waited  only 
the  priestly  ceremonial  which  was  to  conclude  the  weeks  of 
hurried  preparation  carried  on  by  hundreds  of  persons  under 
the  severe  and  critical  eye  of  Hege,  to  become  the  crowned 
consort  of  Xerxes. 

137 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


Her  maids  had  just  finished  dressing  her,  and  one  by  one 
had  withdrawn,  leaving  only  the  black  fan-girl  who  stirred 
the  warm  air  above  her  head  with  noiseless  motions  of  her 
gilded  palm  leaf  and  the  chief  tiring-woman,  who  lingered 
to  bestow  the  final  touches  upon  her  mistress's  toilet.  This 
person,  a  dark,  smooth-voiced  Greek,  soft  fingered,  gentle 
as  a  caressing  breeze  and  of  a  soothing  tranquillity  of  man 
ner,  had  not  been  long  in  the  service  of  the  queen  to  be; 
she  had  appeared  one  morning  among  the  other  women  in 
waiting,  and  had  at  once  taken  command  with  an  air  of  al 
most  insolent  authority.  It  soon  appeared,  however,  that  she 
was  high  in  favor  with  the  almost  omniscient  Hege,  and  no 
one  of  all  the  others  durst  question  her  position. 

The  Greek  woman  peeped  over  the  shoulder  of  her  tall 
mistress  as  she  restored  a  jeweled  pin  to  its  place,  and  per 
ceiving  the  shy  sparkle  of  a  tear  on  the  dark  lashes,  spoke 
in  a  soft,  crooning  voice. 

"  Something  troubles  the  beautiful  queen,"  she  mur 
mured.  "  Tell  the  humblest  of  your  servants,  I  entreat  you, 
what  it  is,  that  she  may  hasten  to  amend  the  matter,  if  it 
be  possible;  for  my  hands,  my  feet,  my  tongue  are  at  the 
unquestioning  service  of  the  Queen's  Majesty." 

"  Do  not  speak  to  me  thus,"  Esther  said,  with  a  look  of 
displeasure.  "  I  shall  be  queen  only  when  it  has  pleased  the 
king  to  set  the  crown  upon  my  head;  as  yet,  I  am  but — a 
Princess  of  Babylon." 

The  slight — the  very  slight — hesitation  in  her  mistress's 
voice  did  not  escape  the  watchful  Greek. 

"  It  may  be,"  she  said  smoothly,  "  that  the  worshipful 
princess  misses  the  delights  of  that  palace  in  Babylon  from 
whence  she  came  ?  " 

Esther  did  not  reply,  and  the  woman,  after  a  discreet 
pause,  continued: 

"  The  chosen  queen,  great  and  almost  above  mortal 
weakness  as  she  has  become,  may  yet  miss  the  caresses  of  a 

138 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


mother,  or  the  tender  solicitude  of  a  father.  Am  I  right, 
beloved  mistress  ?  " 

The  gentle  tears  which  filled  the  girl's  eyes  fell  down  her 
face;  but  she  turned  from  the  woman  with  shy  dignity. 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  speak  of  my  home  or  my  friends  with 
anyone,"  she  said  firmly.  "  They  remain  ever  shrined  in  my 
inmost  thought,  sacred  to  me  alone." 

"  But  assuredly  the  near  relatives  and  friends  of  the 
queen  will  be  among  the  thrice-honored  guests  at  the  ap 
proaching  feast  of  the  coronation  ? "  persisted  the  Greek, 
with  a  searching  glance  at  the  beautiful,  downcast  face  of 
the  princess.  "  It  could  not  be  otherwise." 

"  I — I  cannot  tell.  It  may  be  so,"  murmured  Esther, 
her  thoughts  upon  Mordecai.  "  But  I  fear  I  may  not  see 
him,  even  if — "  She  stopped  short,  and  turned  quickly  to 
the  woman.  "  My  veil  and  mantle;  I  wish  to  go  at  once 
into  the  garden." 

As  she  descended  the  flight  of  marble  steps  which  led 
down  into  the  leafy  recesses  where  alone  she  found  the  soli 
tude  and  tranquillity  so  necessary  to  her  peace,  the  girl  be 
came  aware  of  the  Greek  tiring-woman  still  close  behind  her, 
in  company  with  two  eunuchs  wearing  the  rich  liveries  of 
the  king's  house.  She  had  grown  somewhat  accustomed  to 
the  continual  espionage  which  has  ever  been  the  price  of  the 
royal  estate ;  but  to-day  the  attentive  eyes  and  the  ever-listen 
ing  ears  of  her  attendants  irked  her.  She  longed  above  all 
things  to  be  alone  with  her  thoughts  for  the  little  time  which 
would  elapse  before  the  king's  daily  visit. 

"  You  may  go  back,"  she  said,  in  the  gentle  voice  her 
servants  loved  to  obey.  "  I  wish  to  be  quite  alone." 

The  Greek  lifted  her  brows  and  hands  in  mute  amaze 
ment,  as  she  stood  at  the  top  of  the  steps  watching  the  tall, 
stately  figure  of  her  mistress  pass  down  a  lilied  vista  of  the 
garden. 

"  Who  ever  heard  of  a  royal  princess  who  wished  to  be 
10  139 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


quite  alone? "  she  muttered  in  the  attentive  ear  of  one  of 
the  men. 

"  A  royal  princess?  "  echoed  the  eunuch,  with  a  shade  of 
emphasis  in  his  question.  "  Is  our  beautiful  mistress,  then, 
a  royal  princess?  " 

The  woman  looked  down  demurely.  "  If  the  astute 
Hatach  knows  not,  how  should  I  guess?"  she  replied. 

Hatach  knows  no  more  than — shall  I  venture  to  whis 
per  it — Hege,"  said  the  man,  with  a  quick  glance  behind 
him. 

The  Greek  pursed  up  her  full  lips  unbelievingly.  "  Nay, 
I  cannot  believe  that  Hege  does  not  know  everything  con 
cerning  our  sweet  mistress." 

"  And  Hege  knows  no  more  than  " — the  man  bent  for 
ward  to  whisper  in  the  pretty  little  ear  turned  toward  him 
— "  does  the  king." 

He  laughed  triumphantly  at  the  unfeigned  amazement 
in  the  round  uplifted  eyes  of  the  woman. 

"  And  I  may  say  to  you  that  I  myself  know  quite  as 
much  as  does  the  King's  Majesty,"  he  went  on,  with  a  con 
ceited  twist  of  his  effeminate  head.  "  But  I  do  not  tell  all 
that  I  know — ah,  no;  Hatach  is  wise  as  the  wisest,  and 
knows  right  well  that  the  way  to  eminence  at  court  lies 
here." 

He  tapped  his  tightly  closed  lips  with  a  jeweled  forefin 
ger,  and  winked  and  grimaced  at  the  woman  with  a  show  of 
preternatural  intelligence. 

"  I  might  be  able  to  throw  a  light  into  this  dark  corner 
if  I  would,"  murmured  the  Greek,  examining  her  delicate 
finger  tips  with  the  air  of  a  great  lady.  "  In  the  bath  and 
at  the  toilet  it  sometimes  pleases  even  a  queen  to  babble  of 
herself  to  her  attendants." 

"  Ah!  then  our  princess  has  told  you  all  about  herself?  " 
the  man's  voice  was  sharp;  his  watchful  eyes  suddenly  keen 
and  piercing. 

140 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  I  did  not  say  so,"  laughed  the  Greek.  "  I  said  merely 
that " 

"  You  need  not  repeat  your  words,"  her  companion  said 
sulkily.  "  I  do  not  think  you  know  even  as  much  as  I  do. 
I  witnessed  the  arrival  of  the  princess  at  Shushan." 

"Her  arrival — you?  nay;  I  cannot  believe  it!"  The 
Greek  drawled  out  the  words  with  careful  deliberation. 
"  You  know  what  they  are  saying  in  the  palace?  " 

"  They,  if  you  mean  the  courtiers  and  slaves,  say  many 
things,  mostly  foolish.  For  my  part,  I  believe  only  what 
my  eyes  tell  me;  it  is  the  one  way  of  wisdom  and — mark 
me  well — safety,  in  a  palace." 

The  fellow  swelled  out  his  little  chest  and  strutted  up 
and  down  with  the  preposterous  air  of  a  peacock. 

"  Then  you  do  not  believe  that  the  princess  was  first 
discovered  in  the  heart  of  a  monstrous  lily  bud  which  opened 
by  night  in  the  midst  of  the  king's  garden  ?  Yet  it  is  a  pretty 
enough  tale." 

The  man  cackled  with  derision.  "  Good !  very  good !  " 
he  exclaimed,  slapping  his  thigh.  "Yes;  that  was  quite  the 
way  of  it.  A  bud,  a  gilded  bud,  which  opened  by  night! 
Yes;  I  may  assure  you,  and  the  princess  stepped  out,  clad 
in  robes  of  blue  and  white  and  silver,  a  dazzling  vision  of 
beauty.  Hege  and  all  the  chamberlains  had  been  summoned. 
'  Who  are  you  ?  '  said  the  great  one,  bowing  himself  quite 
to  the  earth  before  the  vision.  '  I  am  Esther,'  said  the  prin 
cess.  Good!  very  good!  For  once  the  palace  gossips  are 
right." 

"  Then  you  believe  that  she  is  divine  in  her  origin  ?  " 
The  Greek  gazed  at  the  man  with  an  engaging  air  of  sim 
plicity  and  candor,  which  caused  the  lackey  to  indulge  in 
a  paroxysm  of  silent  laughter. 

"  Good — very  good !  "  he  managed  to  ejaculate.  "  You 
have  grasped  my  inmost  thought;  the  princess  is  of  divine 
origin;  she  is  here  by  the  grace  of  Ashtoreth,  the  goddess 

141 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


whose  name  she  bears.  She  will  presently  be  queen.  What 
more  is  there  to  be  desired  ?  " 

The  Greek  appeared  to  be  turning  over  the  words  of 
Hatach  in  her  mind.  When  presently  she  spoke  it  was  with 
a  gravity  and  decision  which  eliminated  further  jesting  from 
their  conversation. 

"  I  know  quite  as  well  as  you  that  our  beautiful  mis 
tress  arrived  unannounced  at  Shushan  in  the  dead  of  night, 
in  a  gilded  litter  borne  by  four  Nubians.  But  tell  me 
this:  why  did  no  one  torture  the  slaves  into  telling  where 
she  came  from?" 

"  Oh,  as  to  that,  most  incurious  of  your  sex,"  sneered 
Hatach,  "  I  have  the  pleasure  of  informing  you  that  the 
Nubians  had  been  deprived  of  their  tongues  at  some  pre 
vious  period  of  their  existence;  a  barbarous  practice,  is  it 
not?  Yet  useful,  exceedingly  useful  when  the  tongue  of  a 
slave  becomes  somewhat  objectionable  by  reason  of  its  pecu 
liar  office." 

The  woman  cast  a  furious  glance  at  the  eunuch. 
"Fool!"  she  cried.  "  I  spit  upon  you  and  your  veiled 
threats!" 

The  person  who  was  called  Hatach  stood  quite  still  on 
the  steps  of  the  terrace  after  the  angry  tire-woman  had  left 
him;  he  was,  apparently,  amusing  himself  by  gazing  at  the 
antics  of  a  pair  of  gorgeous  rose-colored  cockatoos,  which 
danced  impatiently  upon  their  perches,  calling  and  scream 
ing  discordantly.  After  a  further  period  given  up  to  a 
seemingly  aimless  survey  of  the  sunlit  garden,  he  deliberately 
descended  the  steps  and  walked  quietly  away  among  the  blos 
soming  shrubs. 


XVI 

O  not  answer  me,  beloved,  if  my  questions 
give  you  displeasure.  I  care  not  for  rank 
or  empty  titles,  since  I  shall  bestow  the 
highest.  That  I  have  found  you,  and  that 
you  love  me,  this  it  is  that  fills  me  with 
such  amaze  I  scarce  can  think  of  lesser 
matters.  Yet  you  will  not  misunderstand  me,  beloved, 
when  I  tell  you  that  my  heralds  must  needs  know  all 
your  names  and  titles,  that  they  may  publish  our  espousals 
from  the  rising  up  of  the  sun  even  to  the  going  down 
of  it." 

The  king's  blue  eyes  were  set  with  open  anxiety  upon 
the  downcast  face  of  his  promised  queen. 

"  But  first  tell  me  once  again  that  you  love  me,  Esther," 
he  pleaded  in  a  low,  passionate  whisper ;  "  for  I  hunger 
and  thirst  for  loving  words,  who  have  been  ever  starved 
and  cheated." 

The  girl  raised  her  soft  dark  eyes  to  the  fiery  blue  ones 
of  her  lover. 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  I  can  scarce  believe  that  it  is  given  to  me  to  quench 
the  king's  thirst,  to  satisfy  the  king's  hunger,  yet  with  all 
my  heart  I  tell  thee  that  I  love  thee;  I  shall  always  love 
thee." 

"  Beloved  queen  of  my  soul,  who  will  to-morrow  be 
queen  also  of  my  realm,  I  worship  thy  pure  loveliness  with 
a  heart  that  is  weary  indeed  of  that  which  is  not  pure.  Yet 
of  that  hidden  past  of  thine  I  am  somewhat  jealous.  Tell 
me,  sweet,  whence  came  you  to  my  palace  ?  " 

A  painful  blush  overspread  the  maiden's  face.  She 
longed  to  tell  the  king  all  her  innocent  past;  yet  in  that 
moment  of  love's  temptation  she  remembered  again  Morde- 
cai's  solemn  exhortation  at  parting:  "To  no  one  reveal  thy 
birth  or  the  circumstances  of  thy  nativity.  Thou  wilt  re 
ceive  a  new  name.  Be  known  only  by  that  name  in  future. 
On  thine  obedience  hangs  thy  life,  thy  fate — and  mine." 
And  she  had  promised  in  the  vaguely  realized  presence  of 
Elohim,  the  majestic  God  of  the  Hebrews,  to  obey  him.  Ah, 
if  Mordecai  but  knew  of  the  love  of  the  Great  King ;  of  the 
deep  confidences  with  which  he  had  honored  her;  of  the 
wonderful  gentleness  of  his  eyes;  of  the  tender  respect  of 
his  love,  would  he  not  release  her  from  that  promise  made 
so  long  ago? 

She  looked  again  into  the  king's  eyes ;  and  her  own  were 
clear  and  untroubled;  yet  they  plead  with  the  question  she 
could  not  evade. 

"  The  king  loves  truth  not  better  than  his  handmaid," 
she  began. 

But  he  checked  her  with  a  caress. 

"  Nay,  you  are  my  queen,"  he  said  proudly. 

"  Not  always  did  I  enjoy  the  state  and  title  of  a  prin 
cess,"  she  said  slowly,  feeling  her  way  with  care  between 
the  strait  promise  that  bound  her  and  her  passionate  wish 
to  open  to  his  eyes  the  hidden  pages  of  her  white  life.  "  Yet 
I  am  of  royal  blood." 

144 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  From  what  king  art  thou  descended,  matchless  one  ?  " 
he  asked. 

But  to  this  quite  natural  question  she  would  give  no 
answer. 

"  I  lived  ever  a  quiet  life,  close  guarded  by  one  who 
was  kind  to  me,"  she  faltered;  "  I  came  to  Shushan,  not  of 
mine  own  will,  but  at  the  command  of  another.  More 
than  this,  I  may  not — I  dare  not  tell — even  to  the  king. 
Oh,  beloved,  do  not  doubt  my  truth  because  I  may  not  tell 
thee  all!" 

The  king  had  risen  and  drawn  the  slight  figure  within 
the  strong  circle  of  his  arm.  He  was  of  a  majestic  height, 
and  the  dark  head  of  the  maid  reached  no  higher  than  his 
great  shoulder.  He  looked  down  at  her  with  exceeding 
tenderness. 

"  Beloved,"  he  said,  and  his  voice  shook  with  the  strong 
beating  of  his  heart,  "  Beloved  star  of  my  soul,  I  have  al 
ready  staked  my  happiness,  all  the  happiness  I  shall  ever 
know,  upon  your  perfect  truth.  Tell  me  this  one  thing, 
for  this  I  must  know  beyond  a  peradventure :  have  you  loved 
any  man  beside  me?" 

And  she  answered  him  truly,  with  all  her  woman's  soul 
in  her  eyes. 

"  I  knew  not,"  she  said,  in  a  hushed  voice,  "  what  love 
was  until  thou  didst  teach  it  me." 

He  held  her  close  for  a  minute,  and  she  heard  the  sound 
of  his  great  heart  beating  in  her  ears,  while  her  own  leaped 
to  meet  it,  in  that  silent  communion  of  spirit  which  no  words 
can  measure. 

After  a  little  he  spoke. 

"  I  shall  tell  my  heralds,"  he  said,  "  to  proclaim  Esther 
Queen  of  Persia  and  Media.  There  can  be  no  name  above 
that  name — Esther,  Star  of  Love !  " 

Then  he  bent  his  proud  head  to  look  into  her  eyes. 
"  Does  the  title  please  my  queen  ?  " 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


Her  lips  were  tremulous  as  she  made  him  answer.  She 
could  not  know  all  the  thoughts  of  his  heart;  but  she  saw 
suddenly  and  with  an  almost  aching  clearness  of  vision  his 
amazing  faith  in  herself,  and  it  made  her  both  afraid  and 
ashamed. 

"May  I  ask  a  boon  of  your  love?"  she  said  timidly, 
after  she  had  uttered  such  sweet  and  innocent  words  as  her 
heart  prompted. 

"A  boon — nay,  a  thousand!  You  have  asked  nothing 
of  me  all  these  days,  though  I  have  urged  it  often.  Ask  of 
me  all  that  thou  wilt,  for  I  and  all  that  I  possess  are  most 
truly  thine." 

"  There  is  in  the  palace  a — a  very  wise  and  learned  per 
son — a  scribe,"  hesitated  the  girl;  "I  should  like  to  speak 
with  this  man  alone,  if  I  may." 

The  king  frowned.  "  Have  you,  then,  letters  to  be  writ 
ten  ?  "  he  asked.  "  And  may  I  not  know  the  name  of  this 
scribe,  who  is  thus  honored  by  my  queen  ?  " 

"  His  name  is  Matacas,"  said  Esther,  her  voice  trembling 
more  and  more.  "  I — he  taught  me — formerly  in — my  home. 
He  was — a  friend — a — counselor.  I  trusted  him." 

The  man  at  her  side  grew  exceeding  thoughtful.  So 
Matacas  knew  something  of  the  hidden  past  of  this  won 
drous  maiden,  this  pearl  among  women,  whom  the  king  had 
indeed  found  worthy  of  his  love,  and  he  had  not  seen  fit 
to  reveal  it.  The  mystery  baffled  and  angered  him,  as  did 
all  mysteries. 

"  I  hate  intrigue,"  he  muttered,  to  himself  rather  than 
to  the  maiden,  "  and  what  this  sealed  scroll  signifies  I  cannot 
tell.  But,  no;  there  can  be  nothing  here  of  mystery  save 
a  divine  mystery  of  sweetness  and  life.  And  what  find  we 
else  in  the  rose  that  springs  out  of  the  dark  earth,  we  know 
not  how?  Yet  we  gather  it  without  question,  and  enjoy  its 
perfumed  beauty  without  suspicion.  You  shall  talk  with 
Matacas  whenever  it  pleases  you,  beloved.  He  is  the  wisest 

146 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


man  I  know.  I  esteem  his  words  far  above  all  that  priests, 
counselors,  and  warriors  have  been  able  to  tell  me.  It  was 
Matacas,  sweet,  who  told  me  that  you  were  in  my  house. 
To  him  we  owe  the  bliss  that  has  been  ours,  and  the  greater, 
the  more  exquisite  happiness  we  are  yet  to  taste.  I  must 
leave  you  now,  my  star;  but  I  will  have  Matacas  sent  to 
you  without  delay.  And  to-morrow,  beloved,  to-morrow, 
you  will  be  mine!  " 

Esther  sat  motionless  upon  the  marble  bench  where  he 
had  left  her,  listening  to  the  proud  tread  of  her  lover's  re 
treating  feet.  Even  his  walk  was  kingly,  she  thought,  with 
a  tender  pride  in  his  complete  mastery  of  her.  Then  she 
gave  herself  to  delicious  reverie,  wherein  the  king  ruled  and 
dominated  every  innocent  thought;  his  great  stature,  his 
broad  and  muscular  shoulders;  his  stern  aquiline  features; 
the  soft  fire  of  his  blue  eyes  beneath  their  black  brows;  his 
thick,  dark  hair,  like  the  mane  of  a  lion;  the  deep,  resonant 
murmur  of  his  voice,  all  seemed  present  to  her  loving  fancy. 
Ah!  she  must  fear  him,  she  knew,  like  all  the  others,  who 
appeared  paralyzed  into  breathing  statues  at  his  approach, 
were  it  not  for  his  love.  And  to  think  that  this  mighty 
monarch,  this  king  among  men,  loved  her!  Her  breath 
came  hard  as  she  remembered  the  sacred  sound  of  his  great 
heart  beating  against  hers.  Her  sweet,  yet  terrible  future 
loomed  so  near  that  she  hid  her  eyes  before  the  dazzling 
sight  of  it. 

"  Make  me  worthy  of  the  great  happiness  thou  hast  be 
stowed  upon  me,  O  thou  great  Jehovah  of  my  people!  "  she 
whispered,  clasping  her  small  hands  in  an  ecstasy  of  petition. 
"Protect  him,  I  entreat  of  thee,  Elohim!  and  help  me  to  think 
aright,  to  be  always  worthy  of  his  great  love;  for  I  am  but 
a  weak  and  foolish  maiden,  and  know  not  how  to  walk  as 
a  wife  and  queen.  Thou,  O  Holy  One,  has  set  me  upon 
this  mountain  peak;  let  me  not  fall  and  perish,  I  beseech 
thee,  for  truly  I  fear  my  great  happiness  and  the  glory  of 

147 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


the  crown  which  to-morrow  the  king  shall  set  upon  my  head. 
But  thou  canst  help  me!  Thou  hast  said,  '  I  will  not  leave 
thee  nor  forsake  thee,'  and  in  thee  do  I  put  my  trust!  " 

The  soothing  murmur  of  the  fountain  seemed  to  repeat 
the  tranquilizing  words  over  and  over  again. 

"  I  will  not  leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee !  " 

Esther  listened,  her  tumultuous  thoughts  growing  calm 
once  more.  She  would  see  Mordecai,  she  reflected  joyously. 
He  would  surely  release  her  from  her  promise,  and  since  he 
was  the  king's  friend,  he  would  himself  tell  the  king  all  her 
story.  And  with  the  thought  her  memory  returned  once 
more  to  those  earlier  days,  when  she  had  lived  the  simple, 
industrious  life  of  a  Jewish  girl  under  the  close  guardian 
ship  of  the  wise,  the  loving  Mordecai,  and  of  Abihail,  who 
alternately  caressed  and  chided  her.  She  wondered  what 
had  become  of  the  woman,  and  resolved  to  ask  Mordecai  to 
restore  her  to  her  place  as  chief  tire-woman.  Then  the 
dark  face  of  the  young  Hebrew  prince  arose  before  her  in 
dreamy  reverie.  He  had  loved  her  most  truly,  and  now  for 
the  first  time  she  understood  what  love  was,  and  a  throb  of 
sympathy  and  pity  for  the  loveless  prince  shook  her  heart. 
When  she  was  queen,  she  promised  herself,  she  would  be 
friend  her  fellow  exiles,  and  especially  would  she  remember 
the  man  who  had  first  called  her  Esther.  She  had  not  ex 
pected  to  be  so  called  in  the  palace ;  but  when,  on  the  night 
of  her  arrival,  they  had  demanded  her  name  and  title,  she 
had  answered  with  the  one  Persian  name  which  came  to 
her  mind ;  and  later,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  far-seeing  Hege, 
she  had  added  the  further  title,  which  in  a  manner  belonged 
to  her  truly,  Princess  of  Babylon. 

How  long  she  sat  there  half  reclined  among  her  cushions 
she  did  not  know;  the  minutes  fled  soft-footed,  sped  by  love 
and  happiness;  but  after  a  little  she  became  aware  of  a  pair 
of  burning  eyes  fixed  steadily  upon  her.  With  a  cry 
of  alarm  she  started  to  her  feet  and  faced  a  man  who  slowly 

148 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


advanced  to  meet  her  from  under  the  shadow  of  a  low-hang 
ing  rhododendron  tree. 

"  I  have  been  long  watching  you,  Princess;  and  if  your 
looks  belie  you  not,  you  are  happy;  though  I  had  pictured 
you  distraught  and  lonely  like  myself  amid  all  the  splendor 
of  your  surroundings." 

"Nathan!"  breathed  the  girl,  her  startled  eyes  wide 
with  mingled  gladness  and  fear. 

"  Yes;  it  is  I,  Nathan.    Are  you  glad  to  see  me?  " 

"Yes;  oh,  yes!  But  how  came  you  here?  I — I  think 
I  am  afraid  for  you !  " 

"  Be  afraid  rather  for  yourself,  woman,  who  hast  become 
a  gilded  toy  in  the  hands  of  an  Eastern  voluptuary.  I  would 
have  killed  you  whilst  yet  you  were  pure  and  unsullied, 
whilst  you  loved  me,  had  I  known  the  terrible  fate  in  store 
for  you." 

"  I — I  never  loved  you,  Nathan." 

"You  did  not?  Nay;  you  did  love  me  once — once! 
But  now " 

He  threw  up  his  hands  to  heaven  with  a  gesture  of  pas 
sionate  appeal.  "  I  call  Jehovah  to  witness  that  I  loved  you 
even  as  my  life,  and  that  you " 

"  Stop!  "  cried  the  maiden,  pale  and  resolute.  "  Call  not 
Jehovah  to  witness  to  an  untruth.  I  loved  you — yes;  but 
even  as  a  child  feels  a  tenderness  for  a  beloved  playmate, 
as  a  maiden  loves  purely  the  son  of  her  mother,  so  loved 
I  you;  but  in  no  other  way.  I  love  the  king.  I  shall  be 
his  wife." 

"Esther!  Esther!  is  this  the  truth?  Nay,  it  is  impos 
sible!  The  king  but  plays  with  you.  Soon  you  will  be  cast 
aside  like  those  other  unhappy  ones,  who  drag  out  a  miserable 
existence  in  the  House  of  Lions.  Let  me  take  you  away 
from  this  terrible  place!  I  love  you.  I  have  always  loved 
you!  I  will  snatch  you  from  him  yet.  Were  he  thrice  the 
king,  I  would  cheat  him  of  his  prey.  Esther,  beloved! 

149 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


Listen  to  me — as  you  love  your  own  soul,  as  you  reverence 
the  memory  of  your  mother!  I  will  save  you! 

"  You  are  mad,  Nathan !  Back !  You  shall  not  touch 
me.  To-morrow  I  am  to  be  crowned  Queen  of  Persia  by 
the  hand  of  the  only  man  I  have  ever  loved." 

The  Hebrew  prince  staggered  back  as  if  he  felt  the  sword 
at  his  breast.  "  I — I —  It  cannot  be  true !  Mordecai  de 
ceived  me — lied  to  me.  Listen !  Esther ;  you  must  listen  to 
me,  whether  you  will  or  no ;  you  shall  listen.  Mordecai " 

"Who  speaks  that  name  in  these  royal  precincts?"  a 
deep  voice  broke  in.  "  I  am  here  to  answer  for  myself." 

The  tall,  imposing  figure  of  the  scribe  strode  forward 
and  caught  the  half-fainting  girl  in  his  arms. 

"  What  do  you  here,  Nathan,  in  the  king's  most  sacred 
privacy?  Go  at  once  ere  your  life  be  forfeit  to  the  king's 
displeasure!  " 

The  unhappy  young  man  faced  the  scribe  haughtily. 

"  I  might  ask  the  same  question  of  you,  Mordecai ;  what 
are  you  doing  in  the  king's  garden?  You,  who  are  more 
false  than  death.  You  had  this — this  in  mind  when  you  put 
me  off  a  year  ago.  You  doomed  her  to  this  gilded  ruin! 
You  made  of  her,  a  princess  of  the  royal  line  of  Judah,  a 
plaything  for  Xerxes !  " 

"  You  are  mad,  boy!  It  is  true  that  I  brought  this,  my 
kinswoman,  to  the  palace.  But  how  hath  Jehovah  blessed 
my  action!  This  maiden  will  to-morrow  be  Queen  of  Per 
sia,  and  do  you — you,  a  captive  of  a  despised  race,  kneel  to 
her  in  all  reverence.  She,  and  she  alone,  may  be  able  to 
succor  us  in  that  hour  of  dire  peril  even  now  threatening 
like  the  thundercloud  which  lies  below  the  horizon  on  a  fair 
day  in  summer,  big  with  fiery  destruction  and  ready  to 
work  havoc  at  the  urge  of  the  unthinking  wind.  I  see  many 
signs  and  portents  of  the  times  unperceived  by  others,  and 
I  know  that  the  day  approaches.  Go  now,  and  leave  us!  " 

Esther  had  hid  her  face  in  the  mantle  of  Mordecai, 
150 


"XERXES  SET  HIS  IMPERIAL  CROWN'  UPON  THE  HEAD  OF  ESTHER,  AND  PROCLAIMED 
HER  HIS  WIFE  AND  QUEEN." 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


whose  sustaining  arm  yet  supported  her;  but  she  raised  it 
and  turned  her  soft  dark  eyes  upon  the  man  who  had  sunken 
with  bowed  head  at  her  feet. 

"  Go,"  she  repeated  in  her  sweet,  shaken  voice,  "  Go — 
and  peace  go  with  thee !  " 

Slowly  he  arose  and  without  raising  his  haggard  eyes 
to  the  beautiful,  pitying  face  of  the  maiden,  slowly  retreated, 
to  disappear  at  length  among  the  trees. 

"  How  came  that  rash  soldier  hither,  child,  to  destroy 
your  peace?  " 

"  Nay,  I  know  not.  I  cannot  even  think.  The  doors 
are  doubly  guarded  by  the  soldiers  of  the  king,  and  my  at 
tendants  shut  out  all  intruders." 

"  I  was  admitted  without  question  because  I  bore  the 
king's  signet,  and  because  the  king  had  ordered  the  guards 
to  admit  the  man  who  bore  it.  I  must  look  into  the  matter." 

"  I  would  not  that  he  entered  here ;  and  yet  I  could  not 
help  being  glad  to  see  him — at  first." 

"Glad,  my  child?" 

"  Yes,  Mordecai.  He  was  dear  to  me  in  those  sweet 
days  of  the  past,  and  I  would  that  he  might  be  ever  near  me 
as  a  friend  and  brother." 

"  That  may  not  be,  child.  You  know  that  now.  As 
the  king's  wife  all  ties  that  bind  you  to  the  past  must  be 
broken." 

"  Ah,  do  not  say  that,  dear  Mordecai.  There  is  naught 
on  my  part  of  which  to  be  ashamed.  And  'tis  of  this  I  would 
speak  to  thee.  Let  me,  I  pray  you,  tell  the  king  all  my 
story.  He  has  asked  me,  with  his  own  lips  he  has  begged 
me  to  tell  him  of  myself.  But,  bound  as  I  was  by  my  sacred 
promise  to  you,  I  could  not." 

"  Then  you  have  kept  your  promise?  You  have  not  told 
the  king?" 

"  I  have  not  told  him.  And  he  trusts  me.  Oh,  Mor 
decai,  if  you  could  but  know  the  half  of  his  love  for  me !  " 

J5I 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"And  do  you  love  the  king?" 

"Yes;  oh,  yes!  I  love  him  with  all  my  woman's  heart. 
He  is  to  me  the  sun,  the  moon,  the  stars.  He  is  all,  and 
more  than  all;  and  yet " 

"  You  fear  him  sometimes ;  do  you  not  ?  It  is  but  natu 
ral  and  womanly.  You  could  not  love  him  as  you  do,  did 
you  not  reverence  and  fear  his  majesty.  He  is  the  king; 
and  even  when  as  his  wife  you  rest  upon  his  bosom,  do  not 
forget  this;  nor  your  fear  of  him.  I  have  known  Ahasuerus 
long,  and  I  know  that  he  must  be  feared,  even  by  those  who 
are  nearest  him.  He  is  not  like  a  common  man.  He  is 
— the  king." 

"  But  I  may  tell  him  of  myself,  of  my  kinship  to  you, 
Mordecai  ?  Do  not  refuse  me.  He  esteems  you  most  highly, 
above  all  his  counselors  for  wisdom;  he  himself  said  it.  To 
you,  also,  he  ascribes  the  happiness  we  both  shall  share.  Do 
not  say  me  nay,  Mordecai !  The  king  loves  light  and  truth ; 
he  hates  mystery  and  the  dark.  Condemn  me  not  to  difficult 
silence — I  who  would  fain  open  my  heart  to  him  utterly, 
and  pour  out  its  inmost  treasure  at  his  feet." 

The  scribe  frowned  thoughtfully.  "  I  must  think  of 
this,"  he  said.  "  There  is  much  at  stake  here,  more  than  a 
woman  can  rightly  measure ;  matters  of  statecraft,  and  of  the 
weal  or  woe  of  a  nation.  No;  I  cannot  answer  you  now. 
Nor  do  I  release  you  from  your  solemn  promise  to  me.  All 
has  gone  well;  the  event  hath  prospered  beyond  my  highest 
hopes.  There  can  be  nothing  gained  by  publishing  your 
birth  and  estate  now;  and  much  might  be  lost." 

"  The  king  would  not  bruit  the  matter  abroad  if  I — 
if  I  begged  him  not  to.  To-morrow  he  will  proclaim  me 
queen  as  Esther,  without  titles,  names,  or  estates.  He  has 
said  it.  But  oh,  Mordecai,  do  not  refuse  to  let  me  open 
my  heart  to  my  husband.  Not  to  the  great  king,  not  to  the 
noblest  of  the  Persians;  but  to  my  husband.  My  heart  de 
mands  this;  and  I  fear  evil  consequences  if  this  dark  shadow 

152 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


of  unexplained  mystery  must  always  lie  between  us.  Nay, 
you  shall  not  refuse  me !  " 

Mordecai  gazed  into  the  exquisite  pleading  face  uplifted 
to  his  with  a  smile. 

"  Already  you  assume  the  words  and  manners  of  a  queen, 
my  Hadassah,"  he  said  tenderly,  using  her  Hebrew  name. 
"  And  right  glad  would  I  be  to  bow  my  will  to  your  im 
perial  wish  and  command.  But  believe  me,  Princess,  when 
I  declare  to  you  that  I  have  only  your  highest  welfare  at 
heart.  You  are  but  a  child  to  be  placed  at  the  dizzy  height 
of  a  throne,  and  there  are  those  who  will  hate  you  and  plot 
to  tear  you  from  your  place.  You  know  not  the  ways  of  a 
court,  as  I  do.  And  so  I  say  to  you  wait  till  I  give  you 
the  word.  It  may  be  soon;  it  may  be  many  months,  even 
years;  but  I  shall  not  forget  you,  nor  your  wishes.  Both 
are  inexpressibly  dear  to  me,  and  will  ever  be.  But  now  I 
must  leave  you,  child;  and  it  may  be  that  I  shall  not  soon 
see  you  again.  Do  not  presume  too  far  on  the  king's  favor. 
Love  him  in  all  truth ;  obey  him ;  fear  him.  And  pray  with 
out  ceasing  to  our  God  that  of  His  grace  He  will  grant  you 
that  wisdom  more  precious  than  rubies,  that  you  may  walk 
safely  amid  all  the  hidden  snares  and  pitfalls  of  this  evil 
world.  I  also  will  pray  for  you.  Fare  thee  well ;  and  may 
Elohim  bless  you  and  keep  you;  may  He  lift  upon  you 
the  light  of  His  countenance  and  grant  you  peace!  " 

On  the  day  following,  Xerxes,  King  of  Media  and  Per 
sia,  set  his  imperial  crown  upon  the  head  of  Esther,  and 
proclaimed  her  his  wife  and  queen  throughout  all  the  length 
and  breadth  of  his  vast  dominions. 


XVII 

URING  all  the  days  of  feasting  and  revelry 
which  attended  the  coronation  of  Esther, 
one  apartment  of  the  royal  house,  that  re 
cently  assigned  to  Amestris,  alone  remained 
dark  and  gloomy.  Within,  prone  upon  a 
couch  lay  the  discarded  queen,  with  dis 
ordered  garments  and  disheveled  hair.  She  had  wept  till 
she  could  weep  no  more,  and  her  pallid  face,  half  turned 
from  her  unwilling  attendants,  gleamed  like  a  mask  of  ivory 
against  the  dark  cushions  beneath  her  head. 

Amestris  had  thus  far  been  unable  to  force  herself  to  a 
belief  in  her  complete  separation  from  the  king.  She  had 
seen  him  but  once  since  his  return  from  Greece,  and  on 
that  occasion  she  had  herself  dealt  the  last  fatal  blow  to  his 
languishing  affections.  Her  altered  looks;  her  tears;  her 
whining  reproaches  had  all  proved  intolerable  to  him.  He 
had  contented  himself  with  repeating  his  former  commands 
concerning  her  comfort  and  the  imperial  state  to  be  allowed 
her  in  his  house,  for  he  was  not  unmindful  of  the  children 

154 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


she  had  borne  him.  But  inasmuch  as  the  woman  her 
self  had  been  removed  from  him  by  the  will  of  the  All- 
wise,  Ahura-Mazda,  the  king  was  willing  to  bow  to  the 
inexorable  decree.  She  was,  so  far  as  Xerxes  was  con 
cerned,  henceforth  to  be  numbered  with  the  company  of  the 
dead. 

But  Amestris,  womanlike,  had  not  ceased  to  hope  that 
it  might  be  otherwise.  She  would  again  win  her  husband's 
regard,  she  promised  herself;  she  would  bind  him  to  her 
with  gratitude  for  past  tenderness ;  and  even  if  another  queen 
must  be  chosen  for  reasons  of  statecraft  and  precedence,  she 
might  herself  still  remain  his  wife,  in  all  that  the  state  of 
wifehood  really  implied.  She  had  even  schooled  herself  to 
declare  that  she  was  glad  to  be  no  longer  queen.  The  en 
forced  state  and  ceremonial  incident  to  that  lofty  position 
had  irked  her  sorely.  To  retire  into  the  quiet  and  partial 
obscurity  of  the  little  palace  allotted  to  her  by  the  king's 
generosity  was,  she  said,  quite  to  her  liking.  Of  these  and 
similar  matters  she  babbled  all  day  long  to  her  women. 
And  this  while  the  king  was  whispering  words  of  love  in 
the  ear  of  the  fairest  woman  in  all  the  kingdom,  and  the 
neighboring  palace  was  being  made  magnificent  for  the  new 
queen. 

It  was  Atossa,  the  queen  mother,  who  scornfully  unde 
ceived  her. 

"  My  son  never  loved  you,  Amestris,"  she  said  cruelly. 
"  He  simply  tolerated  you,  because  I  willed  it." 

"  Nay,  he  loved  me  once,"  sobbed  the  unhappy  queen. 
"  See  how  tender  he  was  of  my  welfare  even  after  he  was 
tricked  into  discarding  me." 

"  Xerxes  was  ever  generous,  though  he  ofttimes  plays  the 
fool,"  said  his  royal  mother,  in  a  harsh  monotone.  "  He 
plays  the  fool  to-day,  when  he  crowns  an  unknown  woman 
Queen  of  Persia." 

"An  unknown  woman,  say  you?" 
11  155 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"A  Princess  of  Babylon,  they  call  her;  and  no  one,  not 
even  the  king  himself,  knows  what  the  title  signifies." 

"  I  cannot  believe  it." 

"  It  makes  no  difference  whether  you  believe  it  or  not; 
the  fact  remains.  And  the  king  is  in  love  with  the  creature. 
He  himself  told  me  so.  In  love!" 

Amestris  stared  at  the  sneering  face  of  the  old  queen, 
with  wide,  tear-reddened  eyes. 

"  Is  she  very  beautiful  ?  "  she  asked  plaintively.  "  I 
know  that  I  have  destroyed  all  my  beauty  by  weeping;  but 
who  can  wonder  at  it  ?  " 

"  Waste  no  regrets  on  your  lost  beauty,  my  Amestris. 
Long  ago  you  ceased  to  interest  my  son  for  that  reason. 
Too  many  sweetmeats,  as  I  often  warned  you,  rather  than 
too  many  tears  are  responsible  for  your  faded  skin  and  dull 
eyes." 

Amestris  writhed  under  the  cruel  words;  but  she  could 
not  at  once  reply  with  the  scathing  sentences  she  vainly 
sought.  Atossa  appeared  to  possess  the  terrible  faculty  of 
first  paralyzing,  then  stinging  her  victims,  like  the  poisonous 
dumb  adders  that  lurked  in  the  flowery  plains  of  Shushan. 

"  But  the  new  queen  is  beautiful,"  Atossa  went  on. 
"  No  one  could  deny  that.  The  slave  I  sent  to  look  at  her 
lied  to  me,  and  I  would  I  could  torture  her  for  it;  but, 
unluckily,  the  creature  is  already  dead.  Beautiful ;  you  may 
well  believe  it,  since  the  king  has  thus  demeaned  himself. 
But  there  are  many  ways  of  putting  away  a  queen,  and  more 
than  one  reason  for  so  doing." 

"Will  he  divorce  her;  think  you?"  Amestris  asked 
eagerly. 

Atossa  eyed  the  flaccid,  tear-stained  face  of  the  late  queen 
with  a  malevolent  smile. 

"  He  will  put  her  away  presently,  yes." 

"  But  if  he  loves  her,  as  you  say " 

"  Loves  her?  Loves  an  unknown —  Nay;  I  cannot  yet 
156 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


supply  the  word   which   describes  her  nationality.     But  I 
shall  soon." 

"  Arsinoe,  one  of  my  slaves,  told  me  that  the  princess 
appeared  like  a  Jewess,"  sighed  Amestris;  "and  her  tire 
woman  was  named  Abihail.  Is  not  that  a  Hebrew  name? 
But  it  matters  nothing  to  me.  She  is  fair,  and  the  king 
loves  her;  this  it  is  that  burns  me  like  a  torturing  fire.  I 
would  that  I  were  dead !  " 

The  old  queen  had  thrust  forward  her  head,  which 
appeared  to  flatten  slightly  as  she  bent  her  piercing  eyes 
upon  the  other.  "A  Jewess!  Ah!  Suppose  she  be  a  He 
brew  captive  ?  " 

"  She  can  be  no  captive  who  is  crowned  Queen  of  Per 
sia.  Alas!  Alas!  I  would  that  Vayu  would  take  away 
my  breath !  " 

"  Fool !  you  weary  me  with  your  windy  sighing,  even 
as  you  wearied  Xerxes.  May  Vayu  fly  away  with  you  when 
he  will.  But  first  listen,  if  you  are  able.  Where  is  this 
Abihail?  I  must  lay  hands  on  the  slave.  I  can  compel  her 
to  tell  me  what  I  would  know." 

"Why  not  ask  Hege?"  inquired  Amestris  languidly. 
"  But  to  what  end?  Nothing  matters  now." 

"Is  it  nothing  to  you  that  the  Babylonish  woman — be 
she  Hebrew  or  Chaldean — is  now  the  king's  lawful  wife? 
She  may  bear  sons.  Xerxes  will  name  them  to  the  succes 
sion,  if  she  continues  to  hold  the  ascendancy  over  him  she 
seems  to  have  gained ;  then  your  sons — nay,  mine,  will  be 
set  aside,  cheated  of  their  inheritance!  Is  this  nothing 
to  you?  " 

Amestris  had  begun  to  weep  once  more,  and  her  sighs 
and  sobs  filled  the  darkened  chamber. 

"  It  is  all  true !  "  she  wailed ;  "  but  I  can  think  of  noth 
ing  to  do  to  save  my  poor  children.  Alas!  Alas!  " 

Atossa  stood  looking  down  at  the  large,  recumbent  figure 
with  malevolent  eyes. 

157 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  I  should  enjoy  above  all  things  to  see  you  strangled !  " 
she  hissed.  "  You  are  of  the  spirit  and  temper  of  a  slave, 
fit  only  to  be  beaten  and  spit  upon !  " 

With  these  furious  words  the  old  queen  swept  away, 
leaving  Amestris  dissolved  in  useless  tears  and  moaning 
among  her  pillows.  After  a  little  her  slaves  brought  her 
food  and  wine  on  golden  trays  decked  with  flowers. 

"  The  king  sends  you  this  banquet  from  his  own  table ; 
rise,  and  eat,  O  Queen,  and  be  comforted,  for  there  are  beau 
tiful  jewels  and  rich  robes  to  be  put  on,  and  Meres,  wor 
shipful  Prince  of  Egypt,  waits  in  the  anteroom  without, 
desirous  of  speaking  with  the  Queen's  Majesty." 

These  were,  in  part,  lying  words;  but  Arsinoe,  the  dis 
creet  servant  of  Amestris,  knew  better  than  any  other  how 
to  approach  the  fretful  woman,  who,  in  the  midst  of  all 
her  grief,  could  yet  be  cheered  with  delicate  viands  and 
rich  wines. 

Amestris  allowed  herself  to  be  propped  up  by  many  soft 
cushions,  and  her  tears  ceased  as  she  surveyed  the  exquisitely 
wrought  service  which  Arsinoe  declared  came  from  the 
king's  table,  but  which  in  truth  had  been  arranged  by  the 
Greek  woman's  own  clever  hands. 

"  Then  the  king  has  not,  after  all,  forgotten  me,"  she 
said,  as  she  tasted  one  of  the  dishes.  "  Not  to  Atossa  herself 
does  he  send  a  portion  of  his  own  banquet." 

Arsinoe  smiled  brilliantly  upon  her  mistress,  while  she 
removed  the  cover  from  a  particularly  delicious  preparation 
of  fowls  and  vegetables  prepared  under  her  own  eye. 

"  Forgotten  you  ?  "  she  asked.  "  How  could  one  forget 
the  sun  in  the  heavens?  It  is  not  true  that  the  queen  is 
any  less  beautiful  than  of  yore;  it  is  only  that  she  has  of 
late  somewhat  neglected  her  toilet.  Is  it  not  so?  But 
with  the  aid  of  proper  cosmetics,  unguents,  and  perfumes, 
such  as  a  queen  should  constantly  use,  and  wearing  the  robes 
and  jewels  belonging  to  her  state  the  queen  will  again  re- 

158 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


sume  her  rightful  place  as  the  most  beautiful  of  all  beautiful 
women  in  the  one  hundred  and  twenty  and  seven  provinces." 

"Do  you  really  think  then  that  I  have  not  faded?" 
asked  the  queen  wistfully.  "  Would  the  king,  think  you, 
still  find  me  fair,  as  of  yore  ?  " 

Arsinoe  shrugged  her  shoulders  in  a  sort  of  despair. 

"  The  worshipful  prince,  Meres,  is  without,"  she  again 
reminded  her  mistress.  "  Shall  I  bid  him  await  the  pleasure 
of  the  Queen's  Majesty?" 

"  Meres!  What  can  Meres  have  to  say  to  me?  I  never 
liked  the  man;  he  is  dark,  ugly,  sly,  like  all  the  Egyptians. 
I  will  not  see  him.  Tell  him  to  go  away.  I  am  seeing  no 
one  in  these  days  of  my  sorrow." 

Tears  of  sincere  self-pity  dropped  again  from  her  over 
charged  eyes  into  the  jelly  she  was  eating. 

"  But  if  my  queen  and  mistress  will  deign  to  listen  to 
the  humblest  of  her  slaves,  she  will  not  send  the  Egyptian 
prince  away.  He  can  wait — yes,  while  the  queen  partakes 
of  her  banquet  in  peace,  and  while  she  gives  herself  into  the 
hands  of  her  tire-woman  to  be  made  beautiful;  but  then 
she  will  receive  the  worshipful  Meres.  There  may  be  a 
reason,  a  very  good  reason  for  his  coming." 

"  Pour  me  more  of  that  wine — the  sweet  wine,  girl.  I 
cannot  abide  that  sour  stuff." 

"  Yet  it  reduces  the  flesh.  Ah,  you  cannot  guess  how  it 
will  beautify !  The  Queen  Atossa  drinks  no  other." 

"  She  may  drink  what  she  will ;  she  is  ugly  as  Ahriman 
without  her  paint.  I  do  not  like  sour  wine." 

"  And  the  worshipful  Prince  Meres ;  I  shall  tell  him 
you  will  receive  him  presently.  Shall  I  not  ?  " 

"  I  care  not.  Nothing  matters  any  more  to  me.  Meres 
can  have  nothing  to  say  which  will  serve  to  lighten  my  sor 
row.  But  I  will  receive  him  in  an  hour's  time." 

Amestris  appeared  almost  her  royal  self  again  when  she 
emerged  from  the  hands  of  her  women  and  swept  into  the 

159 


presence  chamber  where  Arsinoe  had  arranged  the  soft  white 
and  rose-colored  hangings  so  as  to  partly  shut  out  the  bril 
liant  light  of  the  summer  sky. 

Meres,  Prince  of  Egypt,  bowed  low  before  her  as  he 
would  have  done  before  the  reigning  queen  and  his  voice 
was  soft  with  hypocritical  sympathy,  as  he  said: 

"  I  deem  it  doubly  an  honor,  Great  Queen,  that  you  re 
ceive  me  on  this  of  all  days.  Had  I  found  you  prostrated 
with  grief  and  anger  at  the  terrible  wrong  that  has  been 
done  you,  I  should  not  have  wondered.  But  among  all  your 
enemies  you  have  many  friends,  devoted  to  your  interests 
and  those  of  your  children." 

"  My  children  are  quite  well  and — and  happy,  save  for 
my  many  sorrows,"  said  Amestris  uncertainly.  "  You — 
have  not  come  to  tell  me  of  any  disaster  to  my  sons?  May 
the  gods  spare  me  this  final  blow !  " 

The  unfortunate  queen  clasped  her  hands  as  she  searched 
the  Egyptian's  dark  face,  her  eyes  threatening  to  overflow 
with  ready  tears. 

"  Your  sons  are  in  excellent  health,  Madam  and  Queen, 
so  likewise  is  your  daughter,"  Meres  hastened  to  assure  her. 
"  I  saw  them  but  an  hour  since  seated  at  the  banquet  with 
the  Great  King,  their  father,  and  the  new  queen." 

Amestris  turned  from  him  and  half  rose  from  her  place. 

"  How  dare  you  speak  to  me  of  that  woman  ? "  she 
quavered.  "  I — I  hate  her !  I  will  not  henceforth  permit 
anyone  to  speak  of  her  in  my  presence." 

"  You  would  be  neither  woman  nor  queen  could  you 
do  otherwise,"  replied  Meres  blandly.  "  I  speak,  gracious 
Sovereign,  only  with  a  beneficent  purpose,  as  a  skilled  physi 
cian  wounds  that  he  may  make  whole.  There  are  many  in 
Persia  and  in  the  provinces  who  will  not  only  agree  with 
the  words  you  have  uttered,  but  will  take  measures  to  make 
good  their  words." 

He  paused  and  studied  the  averted  face  of  the  woman 
160 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


for  a  space.  "  Your  Majesty  is  not  angry  with  her  devoted 
servant,  I  trust?  I  am  but  the  mouthpiece  to  convey  to  you 
the  words  of  many  lips  and  the — ah — fealty  of  many 
swords." 

"  I  do  not  know  what  you  would  say  to  me,  who  speak 
of  fealty  and  swords.  The  time  is  past  for  serving  Amestris. 
I  am  naught  but  an  outworn  and  discarded  toy,  little  better 
than  the  creatures  yonder  in  the  House  of  Lions." 

"  Your  Majesty  greatly  errs.  You  are  the  mother  of 
the  king  to  be;  and  as  such  your  position  is  most  exalted. 
Had  you  then  forgotten  that  you  have  sons?" 

"  I  have  not  forgotten  my  children — the  gods  forbid ! 
And  I  love  them  with  all  the  devotion  of  which  a  broken 
and  blighted  heart  is  capable.  But  what  may  this  avail, 
since  Xerxes  may  spurn  my  children  as  he  has  spurned  me? 
It  is  in  his  power,  and  his  alone,  to  name  his  successor." 

Meres  had  fixed  his  piercing  black  eyes  upon  the  weak, 
self-indulgent  face  of  the  woman. 

"  Ah,  then  you  have  also  thought  of  the  danger  that 
threatens  the  state!  You  are  more  than  woman  and  queen; 
you  are  also  statesman  and  patriot." 

Amestris  sighed,  and  arranged  her  veil  in  more  becoming 
folds. 

"  I  think  of  many  things  here  in  my  solitude,"  she  said. 
"  I  have  little  else  to  occupy  my  hours." 

"  And  have  you  also  thought  of  a  way  to  prevent  this 
foul  outrage  which  you  have  foreseen  ?  " 

"  If  I  could  kill  her,  the  Babylonish  woman,  I  would 
do  it  with  my  own  hands!  She  has  stolen  my  husband  and 
my  throne." 

"  You  might  easily  accomplish  the  destruction  of  the 
usurper,"  Meres  said  smoothly.  "But  to  what  end?  You 
would  not  by  so  doing  make  surer  the  succession  to  either 
of  your  sons." 

"I  would  not?" 

161 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"There  would  be  other  favorites,  other  queens;  and 
Xerxes  is  still  young,  though  the  gods  have  grievously  af 
flicted  him." 

"Afflicted  him?  Is  he  then  ill?  Why  did  you  not  tell 
me  at  once?  " 

The  lips  of  the  Egyptian  curled,  and  he  again  stared 
piercingly  at  the  queen. 

"  Nay,  it  cannot  be  that  the  daughter  of  the  brave 
Otanes  yet  cherishes  any  kindness  for  the  man  who  has 
trampled  her  under  foot,  as  he  would  trample  the  dust  of 
the  street." 

"  You  are  cruel !  Go  away  at  once.  I  cannot  listen 
to  you." 

"  I  am  kind ;  not  cruel,  and  I  would  place  you  again 
upon  your  throne  in  more  than  your  former  state —  Nay, 
you  shall  listen  to  me !  " 

"  Speak  not  again  of  my  husband — of  the  king  as — as — 
despising  me.  I  cannot  endure  it!" 

"  You  must  endure  what  is,  Madam  and  Queen.  But 
you  may  also  alter  what  seems  to  be,  if  you  will." 

"  How  may  I  do  this  ?  " 

"  By  allowing  those  of  your  subjects  who  remain  loyal 
to  you  and  your  sons,  to  serve  you." 

"  But  how  may  this  be  done?     I  do  not  understand." 

"  If  your  son  Darius  were  king  you  would  be  again — 
and  most  truly — queen,  who  are  now  queen  only  by  the 
forbearance  of  those  who  despise  you." 

"  But  Xerxes  commanded  that  all  should  hail  me  queen  ; 
I  am  queen,  I  tell  you." 

The  Egyptian  sneered  openly.  "  Go  forth,  most  pow 
erful  of  queens,  into  the  courts  of  the  palace,  and  count 
those  who  turn  their  eyes  from  the  Babylonish  woman  to 
make  obeisance  to  you.  But  I  perceive  that  you  did  not 
listen  to  what  I  said.  You  did  not  hear  me,  perchance  ?  " 

"I  did  hear  you,  Meres,  who  wert  ever  the  most  dis- 
162 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


courteous  of  courtiers;  but  I  found  neither  wit  nor  wisdom 
in  your  words.  For  how  may  my  son  Darius  be  king,  while 
his  father  yet  lives?" 

"  Ah !  it  begins  to  appear  that  I  am  speaking  with  one 
whom  the  Asuras  have  gifted  with  both  wisdom  and  wit. 
It  is  altogether  true  that  your  son  cannot  sit  upon  the  throne 
of  his  fathers  until  Xerxes  be  gathered  to  the  land  of  the 
silent.  Yet  that  another  than  Xerxes  will  soon  occupy  that 
throne  has  already  been  decided. 

"  But  you  said  the  king  was  not  ill?  " 

"  I  was  mistaken,  Great  Queen ;  Xerxes  is  ill  of  that 
most  mortal  of  all  kingly  complaints,  the  hatred  of  his 
subjects." 

"What — mean  you?" 

"  Think  you  that  a  king — even  the  Great  King  Xerxes 
— may  waste  his  kingdom  with  futile  wars;  that  he  may 
water  the  soil  of  a  hostile  country  with  the  unavailing  blood 
of  thousands  of  his  subjects;  that  he  may  outrage  law,  cus 
tom,  and  precedent;  that  he  may  insult  and  trample  upon 
the  hereditary  rights  and  privileges  of  his  most  powerful 
nobles;  that  he  may,  as  the  climax  of  his  crimes,  raise  to  his 
throne  an  unknown  woman  of  a  foreign  race,  in  defiance 
of  the  sworn  oath  of  his  father  Darius  to  the  seven  princes, 
and  live?" 

"Do  you  mean —  No!  No!  I  cannot  listen!  Leave 
me!  Leave  me!  " 

"  I  will  leave  you,  madam,  if  such  be  your  pleasure  ; 
nevertheless,  your  opposition  can  avail  nothing  in  the  king's 
behalf.  But  you — you  are  not  a  queen,  as  I  supposed.  I 
counted  upon  your  outraged  majesty;  upon  your  crowned 
and  regnant  motherhood  for  support  at  this  crisis  of  a 
kingdom.  They  misinformed  me,  who  said  that  you  were 
possessed  of  the  daring  and  warlike  spirit  of  the  great  Otanes, 
your  father.  You  are  entirely  content,  I  perceive,  with 
your  lot." 

163 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  I  am  not  content.  I  writhe  daily  under  untold  humilia 
tions.  But  are  you  sure  of  what  you  say?  " 

"  What  I  have  said  will  assuredly  come  to  pass ;  it  is 
spoken  and  it  cannot  be  unsaid.  But  we  need  your  help, 
your  resources.  Your  name,  O  Queen,  linked  with  that 
of  your  thrice  royal  son  must  win  over  the  greater  part  of 
the  army.  There  could  be  no  possible  doubt  as  to  the  suc 
cession.  The  youthful  Darius  would  be  king;  and  you 
would  occupy  in  the  palace  the  position  which  has  been 
occupied  by  Atossa." 

"  But  she — Atossa  will  discover  the  plot.  She  would 
prevent  it!  She  would  kill  me!  You  do  not  know  that 
woman  as  I  do !  " 

"  Do  not  fear  the  mother  of  Xerxes.  She  is  already  old 
and  feeble.  How  could  she  avail  against  Amestris,  young, 
powerful,  beautiful;  never  more  beautiful  than  now,  let 
the  most  discourteous  of  her  courtiers  assure  her.  You 
could  do  with  her  as  you  will — cause  her  to  be  strangled, 
or " 

"  Nay ;  I  did  not  altogether  mean  that.  But  I  must 
have  time  to  think.  I  cannot  picture  it  to  myself — Xerxes 
—dead?  How ?" 

"  He  will  be  slain  in  the  presence  of  the  Babylonish 
woman,  whom  he  has  dared  to  set  above  my  daughter," 
hissed  the  Egyptian,  his  dark  face  alive  with  evil  intent. 
"I,  Meres,  have  sworn  it!  The  eunuch  Teresh  will  strike 
the  blow,  as  the  king  sleeps  in  his  bed." 

"  Great  Ashtoreth  forbid !  And  yet — you  say  it  will 
be  done  in  her  presence?  She  will  see  it!  She  will  be 
plucked  from  the  throne  as  a  ripe  apple  is  plucked  from 
the  bough!  Oh,  what  a  revenge — what  a  revenge!  And  I 
did  not  think  of  it,  but  only  of  him.  But  you  say  that  he 
is  ill,  mortally  ill;  that  the  people  hate  him.  And  my  son 
will  be  king — mine!  God,  what  revenge!  " 

The  Egyptian  calmly  watched  the  terrible  conflict  of 
164 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


passions  in  the  woman's  weak  face.  He  was  already  con 
fident  of  victory. 

"  Then  we  may  count  upon  your  countenance  and  sup 
port,  Great  Queen  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes !  I — I  cannot  bear  to  think  of  her  in  his 
arms;  to  think  of  him  as  happy  with  another!  Let  him 
die;  and  I  shall  be  avenged  of  my  wrongs!  " 


mat- 


XVIII 


ORDECAI,  keeper  of  the  king's  seal, 
whose  office  at  court  obliged  him  to  daily 
await  the  imperial  orders  in  the  King's 
Gate,  as  the  great  anteroom  of  the  Hall  of 
Columns  was  called,  sat  in  his  accustomed 
place,  occupied  with  the  manifold  duties 
which  his  position  imposed.  There  were  many  documents 
to  be  read  and  translated  into  other  tongues,  and  upon  all 
such  as  bore  the  king's  sign  manual  he  imprinted  the  image 
of  the  Lion  Hunter  of  Persia. 

As  he  impressed  the  signet  in  the  soft  wax  that  sealed 
a  great  parchment  roll,  his  mind  again  reverted  to  the 
circumstance  which  had  puzzled  him  at  the  time;  namely, 
the  unchallenged  ingress  and  egress  of  Nathan  to  the 
presence  of  the  queen  elect.  He  lifted  his  eyes  from  his 
task  to  see  the  subject  of  his  meditations  standing  before 
him. 

The  Prince  of  Edom  was  panoplied  in  the  full  uniform 
of  a  commanding  officer  of  the  Immortals;  but  he  had  bared 

1 66 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


his  head   before   the   royal   official,   and,  winged   helmet  in 
hand,  impatiently  waited  his  attention. 

"  You  are  welcome,  son  of  Asa,"  Mordecai  greeted  him 
gravely.  "  But  why  are  you  here,  whose  duties  keep  you 
ever  near  the  person  of  the  monarch  ?  " 

"  I  am  here  in  the  pursuance  of  those  duties,  Matacas. 
The  king  desires  your  presence  and  attendance  upon  him 
two  hours  after  midday,  in  the  garden  of  the  fountains. 
He  would  make  safe  provision  for — for  the  queen,  his  wife, 
in  case  sudden  death  or  disaster  overtake  him.  To  no  other 
will  he  submit  these  matters  save  to  you." 

The  young  man  bowed  his  head,  while  a  deep  flush 
overspread  his  face. 

"  I  would  also  speak  with  you,  Mordecai,  on  my  own 
behalf,"  he  went  on.  "  I  think  I  was  mad  that  day  in  the 
king's  garden.  I  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  what  I 
supposed  to  be  true.  I  did  not  believe  that  the  king  meant 
to  marry  her ;  and  so  I  was  mad,  and  in  my  madness  I  know 
not  what  wild  words  I  may  have  uttered.  She  has  passed 
from  my  life  now,  and  like  the  star  I  named  her,  is  set  high 
above  my  poor  head  in  resplendent  beauty.  I  may  never 
again  hope  to  speak  with  her  face  to  face;  but  this  I  would 
say,  if  I  might:  Forgive  me!  Speak  this  word  for  me, 
Mordecai,  as  you  have  opportunity." 

"  I  do  not  look  to  have  audience  with  the  Queen's  Maj 
esty,"  Mordecai  said,  coldly.  "  And  should  so  great  an 
honor  be  vouchsafed  me,  it  would  be  indiscreet  to  allude  to 
the  past.  You  understand  me,  I  trust." 

"That  she  is  forever  lost  to  me,  I  understand;  but  I 
may  yet  adore  her,  my  Star,  whose  effulgence  cannot  be 
hidden;  and  if  the  time  ever  comes  when  I  can  serve  her 
.with  my  sword  or  with  my  life,  both  are  hers." 

"  So  ever  speaks  the  loyal  subject,"  said  Mordecai,  yet 
more  coldly;  "but  I  trust  the  queen  will  not  soon  have 
need  of  your  willing  service." 

167 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


He  looked  keenly  into  the  face  of  the  soldier,  observing 
his  handsome  features  and  glowing  eyes  with  critical  at 
tention. 

"  I  have  somewhat  more  to  say  to  you,  Prince  of  Edom," 
he  said  slowly.  "  Not  many  days  since,  you  gained  access 
to  the  presence  of  Majesty  in  a  manner  unknown  to  me.  I 
questioned  the  guards  stationed  at  the  door,  and  they  told 
me  they  had  been  ordered  by  the  king  himself  to  admit  the 
man  bearing  the  king's  signet.  How  then  came  you  there?  " 

"  I  bore  the  king's  signet,  and  was  admitted,  even  accord 
ing  to  the  king's  word." 

"  You  are  lying." 

The  royal  guardsman  laid  his  hand  upon  his  sword, 
while  his  face  slowly  blanched  to  the  color  of  clay. 

"  You  forget  to  whom  you  speak,  Benjamite,"  he  said, 
the  hot  blood  of  the  warrior  David  blazing  up  in  his  dark 
eyes.  "  Observe  this  seal,  if  you  will.  See,  it  bears  the 
image  of  the  king  and  his  superscription.  It  was  given  to 
me  by  one  of  the  Achaemenidae." 

"  I  did  forget,  strangely,  Prince.  I  remembered  only 
that  you  had  reason  to  distrust  me  and  my  motives." 

"  I  have  indeed  reason  to  distrust  them  and  you.  Thrice 
have  you  played  me  false ;  and  how  may  I  repose  any  further 
confidence  in  you?  I  believe  you  to  be  a  man  of  insatiable 
ambition.  To  that  ambition  you  would  have  sacrificed  her, 
her  life,  her  love;  as  for  the  last  descendant  of  your  king, 
he  is  no  better  than  a  baseborn  slave  in  your  eyes.  If  I 
have  not  altogether  hated  and  despised  you,  Mordecai,  it 
is  because  a  softer  feeling  has  prevailed.  For  her  sake  I 
will  not  slay  you;  for  her  sake  I* will  even  try  not  to  hate 
you." 

"  You  have  altogether  mistaken  me,  Nathan.  Listen, 
and  mark  well  what  I  say.  Our  captive  race  is  hopelessly 
scattered  throughout  all  the  provinces;  and  while  we  are 
many,  yet  is  our  power  weak.  We  have  no  leaders,  no 

1 68 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


statesmen,  no  prophets.  The  hand  of  Jehovah  lies  heavy 
upon  us.  True,  the  King  of  Persia  finds  us  convenient  to 
him  in  many  capacities,  and  so  uses  us  as  a  man  will  use  a 
tool  fitted  to  his  hand.  But  many  of  our  merchants  in  the 
maritime  towns  have  grown  rich,  and  in  the  cities  others 
have  gained  for  themselves  houses  and  lands,  so  that  the 
eyes  of  the  conqueror  begin  to  rest  upon  us  enviously.  There 
has  been  a  disastrous  war;  the  people  are  impoverished; 
what  shall  hinder  them  from  plucking  this  hardly  gained 
wealth  from  the  hand  of  defenseless  captives?  Moreover, 
there  are  those  high  in  favor  with  the  king  who  hate  as  well 
as  envy  us.  An  edict  against  the  Hebrews,  if  perchance  the 
king's  ear  be  gained  by  those  who  would  profit  thereby, 
would  be  easily  said.  I  know  whereof  I  speak  who  have 
lived  more  than  a  score  of  years  in  the  Persian  court." 

"  Granted  that  all  this  be  true,  though  I  perceive  noth 
ing  of  it  in  the  army,  where  such  piracy  has  its  rise  if  any 
where,  what  may  Hadassah  do  to  prevent  it?" 

"  She  may — Jehovah  helping  her — do  everything.  She 
is  near  the  king,  nearer  now  than  any  other.  She  has  be 
come  the  guardian  angel  of  fallen  Israel.  Pray  for  her, 
Prince;  pray  also  for  thy  captive  brethren,  and  forget  the 
small  personal  disappointment  that  has  been  meted  out  to 
you.  Go  now.  It  were  not  well  that  we  were  even 
seen  talking  together.  Go;  but  do  not  forget  what  I  have 
said." 

Close  upon  the  heels  of  the  royal  guardsman  came  a 
eunuch  wearing  the  rich  liveries  of  the  deposed  queen.  His 
royal  mistress,  said  this  functionary,  demanded  at  once  the 
attendance  of  Matacas,  keeper  of  the  seals.  And  when 
Matacas  demurred  thereat,  making  plea  of  his  official  busi 
ness,  the  eunuch  showed  a  scroll  writ  by  the  hand  of  a  slave 
skilled  in  writing  and  sealed  with  the  queen's  signet. 

"  'Tis  a  matter  of  life  and  death,"  read  the  scroll, 
"  therefore  obey  without  question." 

169 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


Matacas  was  well  used  to  attendance  upon  the  various 
members  of  the  royal  household;  therefore  he  gave  certain 
matters  into  the  hand  of  one  of  his  underlings  and  followed 
the  eunuch  to  the  little  Palace  of  Rhododendrons,  as  the 
dwelling  of  Amestris,  situated  to  the  left  of  the  House  of 
Lions,  was  called. 

The  former  wife  of  Xerxes  was  not  weeping,  for  once; 
nor  had  she  eaten  or  slept  since  the  visit  of  Meres  the  day 
before.  She  was  not  even  reclining  upon  one  of  the  great 
divans  heaped  with  cushions,  but  walking  up  and  down  in 
disordered  fashion,  her  hands  clenched,  her  eyes  fixed  and 
glassy.  . 

"What  of  the  king?"  she  whispered,  approaching  her 
white  face  close  to  that  of  Matacas,  and  fixing  him  with 
her  haggard  eyes.  "Does  he  yet  live?  I  asked  my  slaves; 
but  no  one  could  tell  me  certainly  of  Xerxes." 

The  Hebrew,  thinking  the  unfortunate  queen  had  lost, 
by  reason  of  her  misfortunes,  what  little  wit  she  once  pos 
sessed,  spoke  soothingly  to  her.  The  king,  he  assured  her, 
was  in  excellent  health. 

"  You  have  seen  him  ?  " 

"  Not  this  morning;  but  I  am  under  command  to  appear 
before  him  to-day.  He  is  in  health  else  I  should  not  be 
summoned." 

Amestris  heaved  a  great  breath,  as  if  relieved  of  some 
intolerable  burden. 

"  I — I  fancied  him — dead,"  she  murmured.  "  Dead  in 
his  bed — murdered!  All  night  I  have  seen  him  lying  cold 
and  ghastly  beneath  the  goldea  vine  of  Samos  with  its 
jeweled  clusters.  But  he  still  lives — lives!  The  Ahuras 
guarded  him,  and  shall  guard  him.  But  I,  even  I,  will  avert 
the  sword  from  his  breast !  " 

Matacas  felt  a  great  pity  for  the  unfortunate  queen, 
whom  he  conceived  as  removed  from  her  place  to  make  room 
for  his  own  kinswoman  by  a  power  more  absolute  than  that 

170 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


of  Auramazda,  God  of  the  Persians.  He  spoke  to  her  with 
a  voice  of  gentle  authority,  bidding  her  cease  her  weeping 
and  compose  herself. 

"  I  will  call  the  women  in  attendance  and  one  of  the 
physicians  of  the  king  to  fetch  such  medicines  and  restora 
tives  as  may  be  useful  to  the  queen,"  he  said,  meaning  to 
make  his  escape  from  so  unprofitable  an  occupation  as  listen 
ing  to  the  ravings  of  one  demented,  when  Amestris  caught 
him  by  the  sleeve. 

"  Stop !  "  she  ordered.  "  You  have  much  to  do.  There 
is  a  plot  on  foot  to  assassinate  the  king.  The  eunuch  Teresh 
is  sworn  to  kill  him  at  night  in  his  bed.  I  consented,  be 
cause  they  will  make  my  son  king  in  the  place  of  his  father, 
and  because  I  hate  the  woman  who  has  stolen  my  place. 
But  I  cannot  after  all — I  cannot  let  them  do  it !  I  love  him 
too  much,  even  yet ;  and  to  think  of  him  as  dead !  Let  them 
kill  her,  if  they  will;  but — I — cannot " 

Her  voice  trailed  off  into  silence,  though  her  dry  lips 
still  formed  words  of  terrible  import. 

Matacas,  convinced  now  that  a  frightful  crime  had  been 
contemplated,  questioned  the  queen  skillfully;  and  in  the 
end  elicited  from  her  unwilling  lips  the  main  features  of  her 
interview  with  Meres.  When  he  had  learned  the  name  of 
the  man  chiefly  implicated,  he  at  once  understood  what  had 
happened,  and  trembled  to  think  of  the  web  of  intrigue  and 
hatred  which  was  already  weaving  about  the  beautiful 
Esther,  his  kinswoman. 

"  The  Egyptian  will  kill  me,  if  he  finds  that  I  have  be 
trayed  him,"  whispered  the  wretched  queen ;  "  but  what 
could  I  do?  I  saw  nothing  but  Xerxes — dead,  and  the 
sight  maddened  me !  I  care  not  if  my  son  be  king.  Let  the 
king  name  whom  he  will  to  the  succession.  And  Xerxes 
will  count  me  guilty  if  he  hears  that  I  listened  to  the  Egyp 
tian.  He  will  cause  me  to  be  put  to  death,  even  if  I  sur 
vive  the  anger  of  Meres.  And  I — I  am  afraid.  To  be 
12  171 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


strangled,  to  be  crucified  as  I  have  seen  malefactors!  How 
could  I  bear  it  ?  " 

Matacas  was  deep  in  thought,  his  head  bent,  his  hand 
playing  with  the  strands  of  his  silver  beard.  The  half-in 
sane  utterances  of  the  unhappy  queen  buzzed  about  his  ears 
like  a  swarm  of  gnats.  He  raised  his  hand  at  length,  com 
manding  silence. 

"  Listen !  "  he  said.  "  It  must  not  be  known  that  you 
have  told  me  this.  I  will  frustrate  these  bold  designs,  as  if 
I  alone  had  uncovered  them.  I  will  save  the  king." 

"  Dear,  good  Matacas !  "  sobbed  the  woman.  "  I  sent 
for  you  because  I  knew  that  of  all  men  you  were  most  to 
be  trusted  in  Shushan.  Then  I  may  remain  in  peace,  know 
ing  that  you  will  not  betray  me?  " 

"  It  rests  with  you  whether  or  no  it  shall  be  published 
that  the  mother  of  the  king's  sons  was  guilty  of  plotting 
against  the  king's  life,"  Matacas  said,  with  exceeding  stern 
ness.  "  There  will  be  many  other  conspiracies  called  into 
being  by  those  envious  persons  who  hate  the  king,  or  " — 
his  voice  became  menacing — "  the  newly  crowned  Queen  of 
Persia.  You  will  be  approached  by  such  malcontents  because 
you  have  been  divorced  from  the  king,  and  because  you  pos 
sess  great  wealth  and  a  certain  prestige  remaining  to  you 
from  your  former  glory.  This  I  will  assure  you,  and  this 
you  must  engrave  upon  the  tablets  of  undying  memory: 
Perform,  sanction,  or  encourage  any  injury  to  the  young 
Queen  of  Persia  and  I  shall  at  once  lay  bare  your  infamy. 
Death  by  strangulation  or  crucifixion  were  too  kind  a  pun 
ishment  for  a  regicide  who  has  been  wife  of  the  king  and  is 
still  mother  of  his  children." 

"  You — you  terrify  me !  " 

"  I  would  terrify  you,  woman,  into  such  silence  and 
peaceful  intent  as  shall  hereafter  forever  prevent  all  possible 
dangers  of  the  sort.  Another  time  you  might  not  repent 
and  reveal  your  guilty  conspiracies.  Swear  to  me  by  Aura- 

172 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


mazda,  whom  you  believe  to  be  the  holy  and  all-wise  God, 
that  you  will  henceforth  protect  the  king's  life  by  every 
means  in  your  power." 

"  I  swear  it,  gladly,  by  Auramazda  and  all  lesser 
deities!" 

"  Swear  to  me  by  Auramazda,  the  only  true  God,  one 
with  Elohim,  who  is  maker  of  heaven  and  earth  and  all  that 
in  them  is,  that  you  will  not  injure,  nor  cause  to  be  injured, 
the  Queen  of  Persia,  who  is  called  Esther.  Quick,  woman, 
or  I  call  the  guards  to  bind  you !  " 

"  I — swear  it!  " 

Matacas,  keeper  of  the  royal  seals,  went  out  from  the  pres 
ence  of  the  erstwhile  queen,  confident  that  he  had  cut  off 
wholly  and  for  all  time  one  possible  avenue  of  danger  to  his 
beloved  kinswoman,  who  was  now  elevated  to  such  a  tow 
ering  pinnacle  of  greatness  that  he  was  conscious  of  watch 
ing  with  scant  breath,  lest  she  fall  and  be  dashed  in  pieces  at 
its  foot.  As  for  the  plot  against  the  king's  life,  under  the 
keen  eyes  of  Matacas  it  was  presently  seen  to  dissolve  into 
thin  air,  harmless  as  a  cloud  of  morning  mist.  It  had  ema 
nated  wholly  from  the  brain  of  the  wily  Egyptian,  Meres, 
and  had  no  deeper  source  than  his  anger  over  the  supposed 
affront  to  his  daughter,  who  had  for  a  time  been  lodged  in 
the  king's  house  under  the  title  of  Princess  of  Thebes. 

Matacas  related  to  the  king  such  details  of  the  plot  as 
seemed  wise,  without  implicating  either  Amestris  or  the 
Egyptian  satrap.  The  eunuch  Teresh  together  with  a  fel 
low  servant  were  crucified  that  same  day;  for  they  were 
caught  with  weapons  in  the  very  bed-chamber  of  the  king, 
concealed  behind  the  gold-embroidered  arras  of  his  bed.  And 
while  the  bodies  of  the  malefactors  still  writhed  on  their 
crosses,  a  proposal  of  marriage  for  his  daughter,  in  behalf 
of  the  king's  oldest  son,  Darius,  was  laid  before  Meres, 
Prince  of  Thebes. 

173 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


And  thus  the  whole  occurrence  was  written  by  the  king's 
scribes  in  the  book  of  the  Chronicles  of  the  King.  And 
there  it  remained.  No  reward  was  meted  out  to  Matacas, 
keeper  of  the  seals,  because  he  had  saved  the  king's  life ;  but 
he  was  well  content,  because  Jehovah  had  prospered  the  mat 
ter  in  his  hand,  and  because  the  queen,  who  was  called 
Esther,  lived  in  peace  in  the  king's  house. 


XIX 

OUTH  of  the  great  mound  of  ruins  which 
marks  the  site  of  the  once  magnificent  pal 
ace  of  Xerxes  in  the  ancient  city  of  Shu- 
shan,  lies  a  smaller  elevation,  revealing  to 
the  explorer  the  crumbled  remains  of  the 
same  sun-dried  bricks  which  are  found  at 
the  foundation  of  the  greater  mound.  This  heap  of  ancient 
ruins  once  formed  the  superstructure  of  a  palatial  building, 
second  only  to  that  of  the  royal  abode  in  its  magnificence. 
Here,  raised  high  above  the  city  and  the  plain  in  regal 
fashion,  shone  the  marble  walls  and  porticoes  of  a  great 
house,  surrounded  by  those  wondrous  elevated  gardens,  first 
built  in  Babylon  in  the  days  of  Semiramis,  and  afterwards 
deemed  indispensable  appurtenances  to  other  royal  abodes 
in  the  various  cities  of  residence. 

In  the  garden  of  this  great  house,  on  an  autumn  morn 
ing,  when  the  deciduous  trees  and  shrubs  were  beginning  to 
shed  their  leaves,  the  handsome  and  haughty  mistress  of  the 
domain  was  berating  her  servants  with  a  tongue  wherein 

175 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


dwelt  not  the  law  of  kindness.  The  garden  walks  had  not 
been  properly  swept,  she  declared,  and  forthwith  ordered  the 
gardener  to  be  scourged,  albeit  every  passing  breeze  brought 
showers  of  yellowed  leaves  to  the  ground.  The  marble  steps 
and  porticoes  failed  to  show  the  high  finish  deemed  requisite 
to  their  beauty,  and  the  keen  black  eyes  which  inspected  the 
labors  of  the  slaves  who  had  been  engaged  in  polishing  them 
kindled  into  impatient  fury. 

"  Laggards  and  gluttons  all!  "  she  cried,  "  you  shall  have 
no  food  till  sunset;  then,  if  all  is  not  to  my  liking,  you  shall 
also  go  under  the  lash." 

The  lady  gathering  her  rich  robes  in  one  jeweled  hand 
passed  from  the  inspection  of  her  terraces  and  gardens  into 
the  house,  where  she  finally  emptied  the  overflowing  vials 
of  her  wrath  upon  the  defenseless  heads  of  certain  maids 
and  tire-women  who  were  engaged  in  fashioning  embroi 
dered  stuffs  and  tissues  into  a  variety  of  garments  for  the 
lady's  future  requirements.  She  snatched  a  sleeved  tunic 
of  rich  stuff  from  the  hands  of  the  woman  who  was  sewing 
it,  and  trampled  it  contemptuously  under  her  small  feet. 
Because — it  was  gathered  by  the  frightened  woman — the 
worker  had  failed  to  incorporate  into  its  elaborate  borders 
that  modicum  of  the  royal  purple  permitted  to  wives  of 
officials  high  in  the  favor  of  the  reigning  monarch.  Other 
workwomen  suffered  at  her  imperious  hands  in  varying  de 
grees;  and  all  were  reduced  to  trembling  silence,  before  the 
great  lady,  wearied  with  her  repeated  outbursts  of  anger, 
finally  passed  into  her  inner  apartments,  presumably  there 
to  recline  upon  a  cushioned  divan  and  recuperate  her  ex 
hausted  energies. 

She  had  not,  however,  had  time  to  sink  into  the  tranquil 
slumbers  which  were  wont  to  follow  the  morning  rounds 
of  her  palace,  when  she  was  disturbed  by  the  hasty  and  un 
announced  entrance  of  a  man,  splendidly  dressed,  but  quite 
evidently  in  a  bad  temper. 

176 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  Always  sleeping,  like  a  cat  in  the  sun  I  "  he  cried,  an 
grily  staring  at  the  relaxed  figure  on  the  divan.  "  At  what 
hour  shall  I  find  you  awake  and  ready  to  receive  me, 
madame  ?  " 

The  woman  lifted  her  short  upper  lip  in  a  stifled  yawn, 
while  she  surveyed  the  man  from  under  haughtily  lowered 
eyelids. 

"  My  lord  is  somewhat — shall  I  call  it  abrupt  ? — with 
his  devoted  wife,"  she  observed,  in  a  low,  carefully  modu 
lated  voice.  "  What,  then,  has  occurred  to  vex  my 
lord?" 

"  Everything,  and  nothing  that  you  can  remedy,  Zarara," 
the  man  answered,  throwing  himself  into  a  carved  chair, 
over  which  hung  a  superb  leopard  skin.  "  I  am  required 
at  once  to  pluck  the  moon  from  the  sky  for  a  woman ;  and  I 
am  in  sorry  plight,  who  have  no  ladder  long  enough  to 
reach  it." 

The  dark  eyes  of  Zarara  sparkled. 

"  What  woman  demands  this  of  you?  "  she  asked;  "  per 
chance  your  wife  may  find  the  ladder,  or  silence  the  request." 

The  man's  coarse  features  relaxed  into  a  doubtful  smile. 
He  leaned  forward  and  fingered  the  woman's  white  shoulder, 
as  one  would  caress  a  favorite  animal. 

"  You  are  not  lacking  in  a  certain  shrewdness,  my  Zara 
ra,"  he  said  loftily,  "  but — well,  I  will  tell  you  my  case. 
It  is,  after  all,  a  matter  requiring  a  woman's  sly  wit  rather 
than  a  statesman's  acute  powers." 

He  broadened  his  shoulders  and  frowned  majestically, 
while  the  woman  smothered  a  laugh  of  scorn  in  her  mantle. 

"  You  have  seen  our  newly  crowned  queen,"  he  went  on 
with  a  gesture  of  impatience.  "  Of  what  nationality  is  she, 
think  you  ?  " 

"  She  is  a  Hebrew,"  Zarara  answered  unhesitatingly. 

"  Surely  not,"  disagreed  her  husband.  "  She  bears  a 
Persian  name,  Esther." 

177 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  So  also  do  you,  Haman,  son  of  Hammedatha;  but  you 
are,  nevertheless,  of  the  royal  blood  of  the  Amalekite  kings. 
The  queen  is  a  Hebrew;  I  am  sure  of  it.  Shall  I  tell  you 
why?" 

"Ay;  tell  me." 

'  'Tis  not  only  the  fashion  of  her  countenance — and  that 
clearly  bespeaks  her  origin  to  the  attentive  eye ;  but  she  prays 
to  the  God  of  the  Hebrews  and  to  no  other." 

"Who  said  it?" 

Zarara  smiled  arrogantly.  "  'Twas  learned  by  exercise 
of  a  woman's  sly  wit,  as  you  are  pleased  to  call  my  distin 
guished  prudence  and  discretion  in  conducting  the  affairs  of 
your  household.  Perhaps,  if  it  were  not  for  my  despised 
wisdom,  the  son  of  Hammedatha  would  not  now  be  chief 
of  all  the  counselors  of  Xerxes.  I  am  always  sleeping,  it 
is  true,  like  a  cat  in  the  sun.  So  also  sleeps  Bast,  the  cat- 
headed  goddess,  worshiped  and  revered  by  the  Egyptians; 
but  always  with  a  listening  ear.  So  sleep  I." 

"  And  what  heard  you  in  your  dreams,  bright  goddess 
of  my  heart  and  fortunes  ?  "  entreated  her  husband,  aware 
that  only  through  flattery  could  he  obtain  the  coveted  in 
formation  his  consort  was  withholding  from  him  with  a 
teasing  glimmer  of  bright  eyes  under  half-closed  lids.  Zarara 
was  not  unlike  the  sleek,  sinuous,  treacherous  animal  to 
which  she  had  compared  herself,  and  Haman  respected  her 
almost  superhuman  acumen,  while  he  affected  to  vastly  de 
spise  her  feminine  methods  of  gathering  information. 

"  Yesterday  I  slept  soundly  at  the  hour  of  noon,  most 
valiant  and  honored  of  lords,"  replied  Zarara,  with  a  mock 
ing  inclination  of  her  small  dark  head,  "  and  so,  being  asleep 
— but  with  the  open  ear  of  Bast — I  heard  my  slaves  and 
tire-women  talking  amongst  themselves.  These  base  crea 
tures  of  our  underworld  have  ears;  eyes  also  have  they,  and 
feet  shod  with  silence.  Often  they  perceive  things  that  we 
from  our  superior  eminence  have  overlooked." 

178 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  Do  not  weary  me,  woman,  with  vain  babblings.  I  am 
in  haste,"  quoth  the  man,  plucking  at  his  elaborately  curled 
and  scented  beard.  "  Tell  me  at  once  what  you  heard." 

"  Go,  then,  in  what  haste  you  will.  You  disturb  me. 
I  would  again  sleep."  And  the  woman  flung  herself  back 
among  her  cushions  with  an  affected  air  of  great  weariness. 

"  I  will  depart,  woman ;  but  I  may  not  return,  since  I 
have  had  the  dire  misfortune  to  offend  Atossa,  worshipful 
mother  of  the  king." 

Zarara's  dark  eyes  flew  wide. 

"  She  is  an  old  Harpie,  that  woman ;  a  true  cat  of  Bu- 
bastes,  if  you  will.  How  came  Atossa  to  set  her  claws  in 
you,  foolish  one?  " 

"  She  sent  for  me  on  the  day  of  the  crowning  of  our 
queen — may  she  live  forever;  since  such,  it  would  appear, 
is  the  gracious  pleasure  of  the  king — and,  having  closeted 
herself  with  me,  the  daughter  of  Cyrus  propounded  divers 
hard  questions  to  be  left  unanswered  at  my  peril." 

He  bent  forward  and  whispered  certain  words  in  the 
woman's  attentive  ear. 

"  How  could  she  have  discovered  your  secret  after  you 
had  put  to  death  the  one  man  who  was  aware  of  it  ?  "  Za- 
rara  demanded  sharply.  "  You  must  have  babbled  it  while 
drinking  overmuch  wine  at  a  banquet,  and  Atossa's  spies 
are  everywhere !  Many  times  I  have  warned  you !  " 

"You  warned  me!"  sneered  the  man.  "You  entertain 
me  with  the  brilliant  movements  of  your  intellect,  Zarara. 
I  cannot  tell  you  how  the  most  puissant  of  queens  came  upon 
the  unfortunate  episode  at  Ecbatana;  but  it  matters  little, 
save  that  she  has  promised  me  upon  her  royal  honor  to  make 
all  known  to  the  king,  in  case  I  fail  to  furnish  answers  to 
her  several  questions.  This  I  cannot  do;  and  to-morrow,  she 
assures  me,  not  later,  she  will  explain  all  my  doings  in  the 
city  of  which  I  have  spoken;  and  further  make  deposition 
of  other  matters  which  I  considered  deep  buried  in  the  past, 

179 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


but  which  have  now  risen  from  their  tomb  to  haunt  me  with 
their  dire  faces." 

"  What  does  the  old  queen  require  you  to  find  out  ?  " 
asked  Zarara,  drawing  her  delicate  brows  together. 

"  She  requires  of  me  full  information  relating  to  Esther, 
the  king's  wife.  Of  what  nationality  is  she?  From  whence 
did  she  come?  Who  was  her  father?  who  her  mother?  To 
no  one  in  the  court  are  these  things  known,  and  Atossa  de 
sires  to  be  acquainted  with  them." 

"To  what  end?" 

"  That  she  may  destroy  the  woman,  I  suppose.  It  is 
known  that  she  wishes  to  place  Artisonna  on  the  throne. 
More  than  that,  as  you  well  know,  the  revered  mother  of 
Xerxes  is  never  so  happy  as  when  engaged  in  terrifying  or 
destroying  some  one.  And  where  so  tempting  a  quarry  as 
this  strange  queen,  who  came  out  of  the  darkness,  borne  by 
tongueless  slaves,  and  who  has  conquered  Xerxes  himself 
by  her  surpassing  beauty?" 

The  attentive  Zarara  pursed  her  scarlet  lips  disdainfully. 

"  I  cannot  see  it,"  she  said  angrily. 

"What?  the  answers  to  the  questions  put  forth  by 
Atossa?  Assuredly  not.  Did  I  not  tell  you  that  I  am  al 
ready  a  ruined  man  ?  " 

The  woman  burst  into  a  light,  rippling  laugh  of  scorn. 
"  You  amuse  me,"  she  said,  "  with  the  simplicity  of  your 
ideas.  If  you  were  in  reality  a  ruined  man  should  I,  think 
you,  recline  here  supine  among  my  cushions?  My  fate  is 
linked  to  yours,  whether  I  will  or  no;  and  so  you  shall  not 
at  present  be  ruined  by  a  lack  of  information  with  which 
to  regale  the  withered  ears  of  the  old  queen.  A  rich  feast 
I  promise  her." 

"  Lies  will  not  answer  in  this  case,  woman,  however 
skillfully  you  may  compose  them." 

"  A  lie  could  be  fashioned  which  would  satisfy  even 
Atossa,  the  mother  of  lies,  son  of  Hammedatha;  nevertheless, 

1 80 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


the  naked  truth  unadorned  by  the  least  falsehood  will  amply 
suffice  on  this  occasion." 

"  Tell  me  what  you  know — quick.  I  must  return  to  the 
palace  at  once." 

"  Go  in  peace,  my  lord.  I  shall  have  all  needful  in 
formation  prepared  when  you  return  to  me  at  sunset.  At 
present  I  intend  to  withhold  it." 

Haman  got  to  his  feet  slowly.  "  That  accursed  He 
brew  who  sits  in  the  king's  gate  daily  affronts  me,  in  spite 
of  the  threats  of  my  servants.  It  was  you  who  counseled 
that  course.  How  may  I  feel  any  confidence  in  your  prom 
ises  this  time  ?  " 

Zarara  had  also  arisen,  and  now  she  flung  her  delicate 
arms  about  her  husband's  huge  neck,  and  looked  up  into 
his  face,  her  own  all  aglow  with  delighted  mischief. 

"  What  would  you  say,  great  lord  of  mine,  if  I  should 
whisper  to  you  that  here  in  this  house  of  ours,  I  have  the 
talisman  which  shall  abase  the  proud  head  of  Matacas  to 
the  very  dust  before  you  ?  " 

"  Do  this,  Zarara,  and  I  am  truly  your  slave !  " 

"  Nay ;  but  you  are  already  my  slave.  A  score  of  times 
you  have  sworn  it.  Once,  when  my  woman's  wit  saved  you 
at  Ecbatana;  again,  when  you  would  have  lost  all  that  you 
possessed  in  a  single  venture  on  that  unlucky  merchant  of 
Shiraz;  and  a  third  time " 

The  man  closed  the  scarlet  lips  with  a  quick  pressure  of 
his  own. 

"  Spare  me,  Zarara,"  he  entreated,  "  the  recital  of  my 
various  follies.  I  acknowledge  my  vast  indebtedness  to  you ; 
but  I  also  have  done  somewhat  on  my  own  account.  Am 
I  not  the  richest  man  in  all  the  kingdom?  Do  I  not  count 
my  darics  by  myriads,  and  my  slaves,  horses,  chariots,  and 
estates  by  hundreds?  And  am  not  I  the  chief  of  all  the 
counselors  of  Xerxes?  " 

"  You  are  all,  and  more  than  all  that  you  have  said, 
181 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


great  Haman,"  cried  the  woman,  "  and  because  you  are  great 
in  mind,  body,  and  estate  I,  who  would  hate  and  scorn  a 
meaner  man,  love  and  adore  you  utterly.  And  so  you  need 
not  fear  to  trust  me;  only  do  not  speak  of  ruin,  defeat,  or 
loss.  The  words  cause  a  shudder  of  fear  to  pass  through 
all  my  inmost  being;  for  this  much  I  have  discovered:  there 
can  be  no  lasting  prosperity  where  fear  dwells." 

"  Tell  me  straightway  of  your  talisman  which  shall 
humble  the  Hebrew,  Matacas;  for  truly  the  man  poisons 
all  pleasure  in  my  greatness.  He  corrupts  my  servants,  also, 
by  his  persistent  refusal  to  do  me  lawful  homage.  I  can 
not  longer  endure  it." 

"  Nor  shall  you  be  forced  to  do  so,  dear  lord.  Only 
be  patient  till  I  can  tell  you  all  that  I  would.  At  sunset 
you  shall  not  find  me  sleeping;  but  instead  a  banquet  of  the 
most  exquisite  foods  spread  for  the  two  of  us  alone.  I  will 
send  and  put  off  those  stupid  persons  who  look  to  eat  at  our 
expense  to-day.  To-night,  to-night,  sweet  lord,  I  will  tell 
you  all!" 

When  a  second  time  the  Lady  Zarara  passed  through  the 
chamber  wherein  sat  the  company  of  women  who  wrought 
embroideries,  and  who  sewed  skillfully  with  the  needle,  she 
smiled  sweetly  and  praised  all  that  had  been  done.  Also 
she  bade  one  of  the  women  come  to  her  in  her  chamber 
that  she  might  try  the  effect  of  a  certain  tunic  with  a  sleeved 
coat  of  a  new  Babylonian  fashion. 

The  woman  in  question  was  dark  and  old,  and  much 
overburdened  with  flesh ;  she  spoke  the  Persian  tongue,  more 
over,  with  a  strange,  foreign  accent,  which  caused  the 
younger  maids  to  laugh  and  jeer  over  their  needlework.  But 
she  possessed  great  skill  in  certain  fine  embroideries,  and  none 
knew  better  than  she  how  to  arrange  the  folds  of  a  sleeve 
or  the  fit  of  a  robe  about  the  neck  and  chest. 

The  Lady  Zarara  was  most  gracious  to  the  foreign  wom 
an  that  day;  her  voice  was  sweet  and  low,  and  not  once 

182 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


did  she  speak  harshly,  though  the  sleeved  coat  of  Babylonian 
stuff  did  not  at  all  harmonize  with  the  tunic  and  robe  de 
signed  to  accompany  it. 

"  Many  things  do  not  harmonize  in  this  sad  world, 
alas!"  philosophized  Zarara  plaintively;  "and  many  bitter 
changes  befall  persons  as  well  as  garments.  Now,  I  perceive 
from  your  superior  knowledge  of  various  things  that  not  al 
ways  have  you  served  in  a  menial  position.  You  have  once 
been  rich;  is  it  not  so?  " 

The  woman  heaved  a  deep  sigh,  which  caused  her  large 
figure  to  quiver  like  a  mold  of  jelly.  "  I  was  not  rich," 
she  replied,  "  but  it  is  true  that  I  occupied  a  far  different 
position  in  life.  I  once  lived  in  the  house  of  one  where  I 
alone  was  mistress,  and  where  I  had  full  liberty  to  do  as  I 
would." 

"  But  a  change  came.  Alas !  so  it  is  with  all  of  us.  You 
are  not  a  native  of  this  country,  I  perceive,  by  the  exact 
and  careful  manner  in  which  you  speak  the  Persian  tongue. 
You  are — may  I  guess — a  Hebrew?" 

The  woman  cast  down  her  eyes,  but  the  astute  Zarara 
perceived  that  her  ringers  trembled. 

"  We  also,  my  husband  and  I,  were  of  a  captive  race," 
murmured  the  lady  sweetly.  "  But  we  have  prospered,  not 
withstanding.  And  so  likewise  has  your  Jehovah  greatly 
prospered  your  afflicted  race.  That  the  queen  is  a  Hebrew 
cannot  fail  to  be  of  great  moment  to  you." 

"The  queen — a  Hebrew?  Who — said  it?"  stammered 
the  woman,  her  tongue  thick  with  amazement. 

"  Why,  indeed,  everyone  knows  it,"  smiled  the  Lady 
Zarara.  "  How  else  could  she  be  so  distinguished  in  her 
beauty,  so  elegant  in  her  person  ?  No  other  women  compare 
with  the  women  of  the  Hebrews  in  their  first  youth.  Now 
the  queen,  I  should  venture  to  say,  is  scarce  twenty  years 
old." 

"  You  are  right,  madame ;  she  is  but  eighteen." 
183 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  Ah !  you  knew  her,  then,  before  she  became  the  queen 
of  Xerxes?" 

"  I  did  not  say  so,  I — but " 

"  Ah !  do  not  be  afraid  to  speak  freely  to  me ;  and  why 
deny  what  may  be  of  signal  advantage  to  you?  You  once 
served  the  young  queen,  perchance?  Nay,  if  it  were  so, 
I  might  easily  arrange  to  have  you  restored  to  her  service. 
I  am  told  that  she  is  displeased  with  her  chief  tire-woman, 
and  why  should  not  you  hold  the  position,  who  are  skilled 
above  most  in  all  matters  of  the  toilet. 

"  Why,  indeed  ? "  echoed  the  woman,  her  large  dark 
face  reddening  with  sudden  anger.  "  She  loved  me  best  of 
all  her  women,  and  with  reason,  since  I " 

"  You  had  been  long  with  her,  perchance,  and  so  earned 
her  confidence  ?  " 

"  I  brought  her  up,  even  as  a  nurse  and  mother;  and  you 
may  well  say  I  served  and  loved  her  from  the  beginning. 
But  there,  I  babble;  as  I  have  been  forbidden.  It  is  true 
that  love  and  anger  unbind  even  the  tongue  of  the  wise; 
and  even  yet  I  cannot  abide  the  memory  of  my  dismissal 
without  a  burning  resentment." 

"  Unfortunate  woman !  "  sighed  Zarara,  "  I  sympathize 
with  you  deeply.  I  know  well  what  it  is  to  be  separated 
from  those  we  love.  How  beats  the  heart,  slow  and  heavily ; 
and  there  is  a  strange  burning  pain — ah!  how  often  have  I 
experienced  it!  but  tell  me  more — tell  me  all!  I  can  help 
you,  my  good  woman;  my  position  at  court  is  not  without 
its  advantage,  and  my  heart  is  ever  warm,  though  my  tongue 
is  often  sharp." 

"  I  fear  you  could  do  nothing  for  me,  kind  lady,  though 
my  mistress,  I  know,  has  often  wept  for  me.  No  one  could 
soothe  and  please  her  as  I  could.  No  other  was  permitted 
to  attend  her  in  her  bath.  She  could  not  have  known  that 
I  was  not  to  accompany  her  to  the  king's  house;  and  often 
I  have  wondered  how  she  fared  without  me.  Twice  have 

184 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


I  made  bold  efforts  to  see  her;  but  each  time  the  guards 
have  refused  me  admittance.  If  the  gracious  lady  of  Haman 
could  indeed  bring  it  to  pass  that  I  might  once  kiss  the  hem 
of  her  garment,  I  should  be  ready  to  serve  her  always." 

"  I  can  easily  arrange  it,  my  poor  woman,"  Zarara  as 
sured  her  compassionately;  "but  tell  me,  what  do  they  call 
you? — so  that  I  may  speak  to  the  queen." 

"  My  name  is  Abihail,"  said  the  woman,  after  a  visible 
struggle  with  herself.  "  She  will  know,  and  I  care  not  who 
else  knows  it,"  she  added  boldly.  "  Jehovah  be  my  witness 
that  Mordecai  did  me  a  foul  wrong!  " 

"  Mordecai  ? — ah,  yes,  you  mean,  of  course,  the  Hebrew, 
who " 

"  They  call  him  by  another  name  in  the  palace,"  grum 
bled  the  old  woman.  "  But  it  was  he  who  caused  me  to  be 
taken  from  my  child.  He  feared  lest  I  should  betray  the 
queen's  nationality.  But  you  tell  me  that  everyone  in  the 
palace  knows  she  is  a  Hebrew.  There  can,  therefore, 
be  no  further  reason  for  Mordecai's  excessive  caution.  He 
was  ever  fond  of  hiding  all  that  concerned  him  under  a 
cloak  of  secrecy.  But  when  it  comes  to  hiding  a  great  queen, 
his  mantle  is  too  narrow,  say  li  "  And  she  cackled  merrily, 
as  if  well  pleased  with  her  wit. 

"  You  are  quite  in  the  right,  my  excellent  Abihail ;  but 
while  I  and  others  high  in  position  know  right  well  of  the 
queen's  relationship  to  this  Mordecai,  you  should  not  on 
that  account " 

"  I  said  not  that  she  was  of  kin  to  him,"  interrupted  the 
woman  rudely,  her  mirth  suddenly  subsiding  into  sullen 
reserve. 

"  But  I  am  right,  nevertheless?  Of  course  everyone  had 
guessed  it  from  his  excessive  devotion  to  the  queen's  interests. 
It  is  what  we  at  court  call  an  open  secret." 

He  told  me  that  no  one  knew  of  it  in  the  palace;  that 
he  would  suffer  quite  as  much  as  I  should  it  be  spoken  of." 

185 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"He  told  you  that?  Ah,  my  poor  Abihail,  even  the 
best  of  men  are  oftentimes  most  selfish,  and — shall  I  say 
it? — deceitful.  They  care  not  how  we  suffer,  we  whose 
hearts  are  tender  and  loving,  whose  very  lives  are  bound 
up  with  those  we  love.  But  Mordecai  should  not  have  told 
you  that  no  one  at  court  knew  of  his  kinship  to  the  queen. 
Just  what  that  kinship  is  I  have  often  amused  myself  by 
guessing.  She  is  his  daughter,  I  have  said  to  myself.  No? 
His  niece,  then,  since  he  is  so  much  her  senior.  What? 
they  are  children  of  brothers,  say  you  ?  " 

The  old  woman  nodded  her  head  wisely. 

"  I  will  tell  you,"  she  said,  "  since  you  already  know  so 
much.  The  mother  of  Hadassah  was  a  princess  of  the  line 
of  Judah,  whose  king,  Jeconiah,  was  carried  captive  to  Baby 
lon  in  the  old  days;  and  her  father's  brother  was  Jair,  the 
father  of  Mordecai.  Now  you  have  the  whole  matter." 

"  Ah,  I  see  it  clearly  now !  How  full  of  interest,  and 
how  sweet  the  devotion  of  kinship!  Then  you  are  not,  as 
I  fancied,  mother  of  the  queen,  excellent  Abihail  ?  " 

"I,  mother  of  Hadassah?  Nay,  I  was  only  her  nurse. 
But  I  loved  her  even  as  a  mother,  and  as  a  mother,  also, 
I  have  bewailed  her  loss  these  many  months." 

"  Poor,  poor  Abihail !  "  murmured  Zarara,  with  exceed 
ing  sweetness.  "  I  shall  not  forget  what  you  have  confided 
to  me.  But  it  shall  be  between  me  and  thee  alone,  shall 
it  not?  For,  believe  me,  it  is  not  wise  nor  prudent  to  speak 
too  freely  of  those  high  in  position.  Indeed,  you  must  prom 
ise  me  that  you  will  not  tell  any  other  what  you  have  just 
told  me?" 

Abihail  trembled.  "  I — I  fear  I  ought  not  to  have 
spoken  of  these  matters,"  she  faltered.  Mordecai  will  be 
very  angry  with  me,  if  he  discovers  that  I — that  you " 

"  Mordecai  shall  never  know  of  it,  dear,  good,  tender 
hearted  Abihail,  and  I  shall  at  once  endeavor  to  obtain  an 
audience  for  you  with  the  queen.  I  shall  succeed,  I  am 

1 86 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


sure.  But  tell  me  one  thing  more  before  we  part;  the  ex 
cellent  Hebrew,  Mordecai,  who  is  of  kin  to  the  queen,  where 
is  he  employed  in  the  palace?  I  would  know  this  that  I 
may  not  blunder  with  my  tongue  when  I  speak  with  our 
beautiful  and  beloved  queen  concerning  these  matters  which 
will  be  of  such  close  interest  to  her." 

The  woman  pursed  up  her  withered  lips. 

"  Mordecai  is  a  wise  man  in  his  own  eyes,"  she  said 
garrulously.  "  And  he  imagines  himself  high  in  favor  with 
Jehovah  as  well  as  with  the  King  of  Persia.  He  goes  every 
day  to  the  hall  which  is  called  the  King's  Gate,  where  he 
sits  for  many  hours  merely  pressing  the  signet  of  Xerxes 
into  soft  wax.  I  could  do  as  much." 

A  jubilant  light  leaped  up  in  Zarara's  eyes. 

"  Can  it  be  believed  that  a  near  kinsman  of  the  queen 
is  content  to  be  a  scribe  and  a  sealer  of  parchments?"  she 
exclaimed  softly.  "  Nay,  the  gods  must  have  a  more  ex 
alted  position  in  store  for  him.  As  for  you,  my  good  Abi- 
hail,  the  king  will  doubtless  delight  to  give  you  anything 
you  require  if,  as  you  say,  the  queen  loves  you.  And  let 
me,  as  the  queen's  friend,  advance  an  insignificant  portion 
of  that  which  rightfully  belongs  to  you."  And  she  pressed 
a  purse  of  gold  into  the  old  woman's  hand: 

"  Remember,"  she  said,  at  parting,  "  this  is  our  secret, 
good  Abihail :  tell  no  other  what  you  have  confided  to  me !  " 

When  the  old  Hebrew  woman  departed  at  sunset  from 
the  palace  of  Haman  by  a  mean  door  leading  to  the  street, 
she  was  not  aware  of  a  dark  figure  which  followed  her  quite 
to  the  house  of  Mordecai,  near  the  south  gate  of  the  city. 

To  this  house  she  had  returned  at  the  stern  bidding  of 
the  scribe;  but  from  it  after  many  weeks  a  great  discontent 
had  driven  her  forth  to  find  such  employment  as  should 
bring  her  nearer  to  the  person  of  her  beloved  mistress. 

In  the  house  of  Haman  she  had  found  all  that  she  sought, 
and  much  more,  she  was  thinking,  as  she  let  herself  in  from 
13  187 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


the  street  and  shut  and  fast  locked  the  heavy  door  behind 
her.  The  man,  who  had  followed  her  thus  far,  stood  for 
a  moment  staring  at  the  house.  Then  he  wrapped  his  face 
in  his  mantle  and  stole  quietly  away  down  the  shadowy 
street. 


XX 

HE  powerful  and  magnificent  Haman,  high 
est  of  all  the  subjects  of  the  crown  and 
most  highly  esteemed  of  the  counselors  of 
Xerxes,  was  dining  quite  alone  with  his 
wife  Zarara.  Other  wives  had  Haman; 
but  these,  being  inferior  both  in  beauty  and 
intellect,  were  lodged  in  a  meaner  dwelling  quite  out  of 
sight  and  hearing  of  the  haughty  daughter  of  Dalphon. 
And  of  his  ten  sons  and  four  daughters  not  one  was  present. 
Zarara  had  sent  them  summarily  away  that  she  might  con 
verse  in  strict  privacy  with  her  husband. 

Between  the  two  was  spread  a  table  of  ivory  and  gold 
from  which  noiseless  slaves  had  just  removed  all  save  a 
great  silver  platter  of  superb  fruit  and  a  small  flagon  filled 
with  the  amber  wine  of  the  royal  vintage. 

It  was  a  custom,  approved  by  many  generations  of 
royal  princes,  for  all  noble  Persians  to  drink  wine  till  the 
senses  reeled,  whenever  an  affair  requiring  serious  thought 
demanded  discussion.  Intoxication  was  supposed  to  elevate 

189 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


the  reason  and  clear  the  judgment,  and  the  half  insane  ut 
terances  of  one  far  gone  in  his  cups  were  thought  to  merit 
an  almost  oracular  interpretation.  But  the  observant  wife 
of  Haman  thought  otherwise,  and  on  this  occasion  only  the 
lighter  vintages  had  been  served  to  her  lord,  and  in  nig 
gardly  quantities. 

The  man  drained  his  small  goblet  of  Sidonian  crystal  at 
a  draught  and  set  it  down  with  a  harsh  laugh. 

"What  call  you  these  toys?"  he  asked,  fingering  his 
cup  contemptuously.  "  They  are  fit  only  for  women  and 
children.  Cause  my  great  cup  to  be  fetched." 

"Alas!  my  lord's  great  cup  has  gone  to  the  goldsmith's 
to  be  repaired,"  Zarara  answered  smoothly.  "  But  let  us 
now  speak  further  of  the  matter  whereof  I  have  informed 
you.  Do  not,  I  entreat  of  my  lord,  join  with  Queen  Atossa 
in  any  attempt  upon  the  woman  who  is  called  Esther.  It 
will  be  useless,  and  only  disaster  can  come  of  it." 

Her  voice  was  low  and  pleading,  and  she  fixed  her  eyes 
anxiously  upon  the  handsome,  cruel  face  of  the  man. 

"  I  swear  that  of  all  women  you  most  resemble  Astarte, 
whom  the  Egyptians  also  call  Bast,"  he  answered.  "  Yet  even 
the  superior  gods  are  said  to  nod  upon  occasions,  and  so, 
we  may  suppose,  do  the  goddesses.  Your  sagacity,  my  Za 
rara,  is  for  once  at  fault.  I  shall  tell  Atossa  all,  and  together 
we  will  destroy  the  whole  brood  of  crawling  vermin.  So 
will  the  greater  include  the  lesser  revenge,  and  I  shall  yet 
witness  the  crucifixion  of  the  impudent  scribe,  who  not  only 
refuses  to  prostrate  himself  before  me,  but  has  also  dared 
to  make  a  scurvy  jest  of  the  Queen  Mother,  the  court,  and 
the  king  himself,  by  means  of  this  common  Jewish  woman, 
this  slave  girl,  who  calls  herself  Esther,  whom  he  has  con 
trived  to  elevate  to  the  throne. 

"  But  I  have  told  you  that  the  queen  is  not  of  the  baser 
Hebrew  stock,"  persisted  Zarara.  "  The  woman  Abihail  de 
clares  that  she  is  of  the  royal  line." 

190 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


"  A  royal  Hebrew  ?  Nay ;  what  is  a  royal  Hebrew  ? 
One  may  find  many  such  laboring  in  the  king's  quarries,  or 
scouring  the  pots  in  the  king's  kitchen.  They  are  all  alike, 
captives  and  slaves." 

"  So  also  are  the  descendants  of  Agag,  if  to  be  a  captive 
is  to  be  a  slave." 

"  Name  not  Haman,  the  Agagite,  in  the  same  breath  with 
the  dog-faced  Hebrew !  "  burst  out  the  man  in  a  black  rage 
of  anger.  "  I  long  to  see  him  suffer;  to  laugh  at  his  agonies; 
to  spit  upon  his  dead  body!  " 

Zarara  shivered  involuntarily.    Then  she  smiled. 

"  It  pleases  my  lord  to  be  somewhat  coarse  in  the  expres 
sion  of  his  hatreds,  as  in  certain  of  his  loves,"  she  said.  "  Yet 
I  must  warn  you  of  one  thing  which  you  persist  in  ignoring : 
the  king  is  mad  with  love  for  this  Jewish  woman.  He  will 
defend  her  as  a  lion  defends  his  mate.  Hate  Matacas  as 
you  will;  do  with  him  as  you  please,  even  to  hanging  him 
upon  a  gallows  fifty  cubits  high,  where  all  the  world  may 
see  and  laugh  with  you,  but  touch  not  the  queen." 

Haman  appeared  lost  in  a  black  reverie. 

"  A  gallows  fifty  cubits  high !  "  he  muttered.  "  Who 
ever  heard  of  or  imagined  such  a  gibbet?  Nay,  whether  you 
be  angel  or  devil,  Zarara,  the  thoughts  which  visit  you  are 
not  like  the  thoughts  of  other  women." 

"  Assuredly  not.  But  listen,  my  lord,  I  have  other  words 
to  say." 

"  Always  you  have  other  words  to  say,  woman ;  but  I 
cannot  always  find  time  to  listen." 

"  This  time  you  must  listen ;  and  you  will  do  well,  also, 
to  ponder  upon  what  I  shall  say.  No  sooner  has  the  moon 
reached  its  full  brightness  than,  for  no  reason  that  man  can 
give,  it  begins  to  waste  away;  and  no  power  either  of  man, 
god,  or  devil  can  prevent  its  speedy  return  to  the  darkness 
from  whence  it  emerged ;  this  much  have  I  observed." 

"  It  pleases  my  lady  to  speak  in  the  words  of  a  diviner. 
191 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


Since  when  has  my  Zarara  added  sorcery  and  magic  to  the 
list  of  her  many  accomplishments  ?  " 

"  'Tis  a  dark  saying;  but  it  means  much." 

"  Come,  you  anger  me!  " 

"  I  will  even  expound  my  meaning  to  you,  most  sapient 
of  lords.  The  King's  Majesty  in  this  parable  of  mine  sig 
nifies  the  sun." 

"And  I?" 

"  You,  my  lord — reflecting  the  glory  of  Mithra,  the 
powerful — are  the  moon.  The  sun  neither  waxes  nor  wanes ; 
but  the  children  of  men  have  ever  observed  the  contrary  of 
the  orb  of  night." 

"  Then  you  think  me  waning  in  my  powers  ?  Does  all 
this  look  like  it,  woman  ?  "  and  he  included  with  a  wide 
sweep  of  his  arm  the  visible  wealth  of  his  surroundings. 
"  This  very  day  I  gained  another  vast  accession  to  my  es 
tates,  merely  by  asking  for  it.  Xerxes  will  do  anything  I 
suggest.  I  am  able  to  mold  his  will  with  mine,  as  the 
potter  molds  the  clay  with  his  fingers." 

"  Not  always  will  you  find  the  royal  clay  so  pliable," 
mused  Zarara  thoughtfully.  "  Nay,  my  lord,  it  may  well 
be  that  your  star  has  reached  its  zenith;  and  while  all 
goes  well  with  you,  yet " 

"  The  woman  paused,  and  set  her  white  teeth  on  the 
soft  red  of  her  under  lip. 

"All  is  well  with  me  to-day,"  cried  Haman  boastfully; 
"  to-morrow,  also,  all  will  be  well.  I  declare  to  you, 
woman,  that  there  is  nothing  which  can  prevail  against  me 
and  my  great  power  and  glory!  " 

"  Yet  this  very  morning  you  called  yourself  a  ruined 
man  in  my  hearing  because  Atossa  had  learned  a  secret 
of  yours." 

"I  was  but  jesting,  my  Zarara;  I  am  powerful,  invin 
cible,  I  tell  you !  " 

"  And  I  tell  you  that  your  greatness  will  crumble  like 
192 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


a  snow  wreath,  if  you  but  touch  the  queen.  Let  Atossa 
attempt  it  if  she  will,  but  do  you — beware!  " 

Haman  burst  into  a  great  laugh  of  scorn. 

"  The  queen  has  bewitched  you  with  those  shining  eyes 
of  hers,"  he  said.  "  She  is  wondrous  beautiful,  I  grant 
you;  and  Xerxes  cares  for  nothing  save  her  beauty  in  these 
days.  He  is  foolishly  uxorious  as  a  newly  wed  shepherd, 
and  thinks  only  of  how  he  may  please  his  wife.  But  the 
madness  will  presently  pass.  I  will  wait  till  this  happens, 
if  it  please  you." 

Zarara  shook  her  head.  "  I  care  nothing  for  the  woman's 
eyes,"  she  said  scornfully.  "  To  me  she  appears  not  over 
fair.  She  is  too  thin,  too  tall,  and  her  color  is  indifferent. 
Nay,  I  cannot  say  why  I  am  afraid  to  have  you  become  the 
queen's  enemy,  yet  I  know  that  ruin  lies  that  way." 

Haman  arose  abruptly  from  his  place. 

"  We  linger  overlong  in  unprofitable  discussion,  my 
Zarara.  I  must  go  at  once  to  Atossa,  and  tell  her  what  I 
have  learned." 

The  woman   sprang  after  him  with  a  stifled  cry. 

"  Do  not  go  yet !  "  she  entreated,  clinging  to  him  with 
both  slender  hands.  "  Stay!  let  me,  I  pray  you,  go  to 
Atossa.  I  will  deal  wisely  with  her,  as  a  woman  may.  I 
will  say  to  her  that  you  are  weary — ill;  that  the  king  has 
sent  for  you — anything!  Only  do  not  go  to  her  to-night. 
It  frightens  me  to  think  what  may  happen !  " 

"  Let  me  go,  fool !  You  weary  me  with  your  arrogant 
assumption  of  wisdom.  This  has  become  a  matter  of  state 
craft,  and  will  affect  nations.  Meddle  no  more  with  it; 
but  leave  all  to  my  superior  judgment." 

The  woman  stood  quite  still  looking  after  him,  her 
eyes  tortured  with  strange  forebodings. 


XXI 

HE  king  was  weary,  and  as  had  often  hap 
pened  in  past  years,  an  unreasoning  yet  bit 
ter  sadness  weighed  upon  his  spirits.  Lost 
in  this  dim  maze  of  disquieting  emotions 
he  thought  vaguely  of  his  queen,  and  called 
one  of  his  chamberlains  to  bid  her  come  to 
him  in  their  old  trysting  place  in  the  garden.  Then  he 
frowned  irritably  as  he  perceived  a  page  attached  to  the 
royal  bedchamber  in  the  act  of  presenting  before  him  a  small 
jeweled  box. 

"  What  is  this — some  new  unguent?  "  the  king  demanded 
angrily;  "take  it  away  and  give  it  to  Babires." 

"  May  it  please  the  king,  the  box  contains  a  writing  for 
the  eye  of  the  king  alone." 

Xerxes  differed  from  his  royal  predecessors  in  many  par 
ticulars,  and  in  nothing  more  than  in  the  scholarly  attain 
ments  unusual  to  potentates  of  any  country.  He  owed  his 
almost  unique  accomplishment  of  being  able  to  read  and 
write  to  his  astute  mother,  who  was  accustomed  to  declare 

194 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


that  ignorance  of  what  the  scribes  were  writing  made  the 
scribes  masters  and  princes  their  tools. 

The  king  opened  the  box  and  found  therein  a  tiny  scroll 
containing  a  single  sentence,  written  in  the  elegant  charac 
ters  of  a  skilled  scribe.  He  read  it,  and  his  face  grew  darker 
than  before. 

"  From  whom  did  this  writing  come  ?  "  he  asked. 

But  not  one  of  his  many  attendants  appeared  able  to 
.answer  the  king's  question.  The  frightened  page,  it  ap 
peared,  had  brought  the  writing  at  the  bidding  of  a  certain 
eunuch;  and  the  eunuch,  when  questioned,  could  only  say 
that  the  box  was  given  to  him  by  another  of  the  grooms 
of  the  bedchamber;  this  man  when  sought  for  could  not 
be  found.  And  presently  the  king  passed  into  his  garden, 
the  writing  still  crushed  in  his  hand. 

Hither  also  came  Esther,  the  queen,  after  a  little  delay, 
all  in  a  lovely  flutter  of  haste. 

She  had  grown  more  beautiful  since  her  marriage;  and 
the  light  of  a  supreme  happiness  shone  in  her  dark  eyes,  and 
gleamed  rosily  about  her  whole  stately  presence,  so  that  she 
appeared  more  a  gravely  beautiful  goddess  than  a  woman. 
And  so  Xerxes  saw  her  coming  to  him  through  the  ranks 
of  late  fall  flowers.  He  did  not  rise  to  greet  his  queen, 
as  was  his  custom,  and  his  face  looked  dark  and  stern  as 
the  strange  human  heads  of  the  great  winged  lions  that 
flanked  the  royal  house. 

When  Esther  had  approached  quite  near  to  her  husband 
and  perceived  that  he  neither  smiled  nor  spoke,  all  the  proud 
gladness  faded  from  her  eyes;  and  for  the  first  time  fear 
of  him,  which  the  king's  own  hand  had  leashed,  struggled 
with  love.  Then  love  conquered.  She  came  swiftly  forward 
and  knelt  at  his  side. 

"  I  have  come  at  your  bidding,"  she  said  simply,  and 
lifted  her  clear  sweet  eyes  to  his  with  all  the  confidence  he 
had  himself  taught  her. 

195 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


The  gloom  on  the  face  of  the  king  lightened  and  he 
breathed  a  deep  sigh. 

"  You  are  fair  to-day,  my  queen,"  he  said,  "  fairer  than 
ever.  Look  at  me!  " 

He  bent  forward  and  gazed  piercingly  into  the  dark 
eyes,  till  she  trembled  and  paled. 

"  It  has  not  pleased  my  wife  to  tell  me  many  things 
concerning  her  past,  which  I  would  fain  know,  that  all  may 
be  open  and  clear  between  us.  But  this  one  thing  I  must 
ask;  and  you  shall  answer.  A  man  came  to  you  in  the 
garden  here,  on  the  day  in  which  I  permitted  you  to  receive 
the  scribe,  Matacas.  Who  was  it?  " 

Her  face  quivered,  as  she  bethought  her  of  the  terrible 
punishments  meted  out  to  unbidden  intruders  in  the  king's 
private  domains,  but  she  answered  at  once  and  with  perfect 
truth. 

"  Let  not  the  king  be  angry  with  me,  nor  with  the 
Prince  of  Edom.  He  had  known  me  in  my  childhood, 
before  ever  I  came  to  the  king's  house,  and  he  feared 
lest  I " 

"He  was  your  lover?     Answer  quickly!" 

"  He  loved  me ;  yes." 

"  And  you  loved  him?  " 

The  king's  look  was  terrible;  his  young  wife  shrank 
under  it  like  a  delicate  flower  beneath  the  fiery  eye  of  the 
sun;  but  she  answered  steadily: 

"  I  loved  only  the  king." 

Xerxes  arose,  pushing  her  from  him  so  rudely  that  she 
stumbled  in  her  long  draperies  and  would  have  fallen  to 
the  earth,  but  he  caught  and  held  her  for  an  instant  in  a 
savage  clasp. 

"  Woman,  I  had  given  my  very  soul  into  your  keeping 
to  do  with  as  you  would ;  if  you  have  deceived  me,  lied 
to  me —  But  no;  I  will  not  listen  to  your  protestations. 
No  woman  could  face  my  anger  and  speak  truth,  Go !  " 

196 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


All  her  outraged  wifehood  leaped  into  her  eyes. 

"  I  will  go,"  she  said ;  "  but  I  speak  the  truth  when  I 
declare  that  I  am  innocent  of  all  evil  intent.  I  have  loved 
you,  and  you  alone !  " 

Then  her  heart  cried  out  in  an  exceeding  loud  and  bitter 
wail.  "  Let  me  tell  you  all !  "  she  entreated.  "  Nay,  I  can 
no  longer  keep  anything  from  my  lord.  I  care  not  who 
forbids  me !  " 

Xerxes  repulsed  her  with  a  look  full  of  coldness  and 
suspicion. 

"  It  is  too  late,"  he  said,  "  to  babble  of  confidences  now. 
You  should  have  told  me  all  when  it  was  possible  for  me 
to  listen.  Now  I  shall  find  out  for  myself  what  you  have 
chosen  to  withhold.  Go !  " 

She  obeyed  him,  her  proud  head  hanging,  her  beautiful, 
pallid  face  convulsed  with  grief  and  fear." 

It  was  on  that  day  the  king  gave  command  concerning 
the  words  of  an  ancient  law,  long  since  relegated  with  other 
savage  barbarities  to  the  annals  of  the  past,  that  it  should 
again  be  in  force.  And  from  thenceforward  executioners 
armed  with  swords  stood  on  either  side  of  the  king's  seat 
ready  to  put  to  death  any  person  who  approached  unbidden, 
and  to  whom  the  monarch  extended  not  the  scepter  of 
clemency. 

And  this  it  was  supposed  was  done  to  cut  off  the  ap 
proach  of  malcontents,  who  might  have  nursed  divers  con 
spiracies  against  the  life  of  the  king.  And  no  man  save 
Xerxes  was  aware  that  in  the  small  jeweled  box  there  had 
already  reached  the  king's  heart  the  deadliest  of  all  poisons. 

On  that  same  day,  which  chanced  to  be  the  thirteenth 
day  of  the  first  month  which  is  called  Nisan,  in  another 
room  of  the  palace  sat  Haman,  the  Agagite;  and  before  him 
certain  astrologers  of  Egypt,  clad  in  black  robes  embroidered 
with  cabalistic  zodiacal  signs  and  wearing  high  pointed  caps, 
were  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  their  sacred  profession, 

197 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


The  Egyptians,  with  many  strange  gestures  and  much 
consulting  of  charts  whereon  the  heavenly  bodies  were  set 
with  what  truth  was  known  to  the  most  ancient  of  civili 
zations,  were  casting  The  Pur  before  the  great  privy  coun 
selor.  The  Pur  consisted  of  large  cubes  of  ivory,  bearing 
strange  devices  carven  on  their  several  sides,  the  which  were 
stained  deeply  with  human  blood  drawn  from  the  heart 
of  an  unblemished  youth.  To  profit  by  the  use  of  these 
strange  symbols  one  must  first  utter  certain  prescribed 
words  in  a  strange  tongue;  then,  after  shaking  the  narrow- 
mouthed  vase  seven  times,  cast  forth  the  cubes  upon  a 
table;  the  devices  lying  uppermost  determined  the  answer 
sought. 

"  A  fortunate  day  for  a  great  undertaking,"  was  the 
demand  of  Haman.  And  many  times  did  the  astrologers 
cast  The  Pur  upon  the  table  before  him,  a  broad  gold  piece 
being  the  price  of  every  throw. 

From  day  to  day  and  from  month  to  month  did 
they  progress  slowly;  yet  still  the  stars  refused  to  be 
kind,  and  the  pile  of  gold  darics  grew  apace,  while 
Haman  waxed  impatient  to  the  point  of  uttering  strange 
oaths. 

"  Too  long  you  are  putting  off  the  day — the  day  of  my 
revenge!  "  he  muttered,  when  all  the  months  in  their  order 
had  failed  to  reveal  the  propitious  day,  and  they  had  now 
come  to  the  last  month,  Adar,  and  to  the  thirteenth  day  of 
the  month. 

"Let  my  lord  behold  The  Pur!"  replied  the  chief  as 
trologer  piously.  "  For  at  last  the  stars  unite  with  the 
sacred  symbols  of  blood.  On  the  thirteenth  day  of  the 
month  Adar  much  blood  shall  surely  be  shed  in  many  prov 
inces  of  the  great  king;  and  this  is  the  day,  moreover,  chosen 
of  the  deities  who  preside  over  life  and  death.  Of  this  may 
my  lord  be  certain." 

"  Cast  again,  and  tell  me  on  what  day  I  shall  go  to  the 
198 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


king  and  obtain  the  request  which  I  shall  prefer,"  demanded 
the  Agagite,  licking  his  lips. 

And  they  cast,  and  The  Pur  signified  that  the  day  was 
already  come. 

Haman  flung  down  twenty  pieces  of  gold  before  the  as 
trologers  and  went  out  to  ask  audience  with  Xerxes. 


XXII 

O  Xerxes,  self-walled  about  with  death 
and  loneliness,  there  came  no  soft  relent- 
ings,  no  tender  recollections  of  hours  of 
happiness  such  as  he  had  never  even 
dreamed  in  former  days.  He  cursed  him 
self  for  his  credulous  folly,  for  his  ready 
compliance  with  the  counsel  of  Matacas,  for  his  too  easy  be 
lief  in  the  queen's  honor  and  truth.  She  was,  he  told  him 
self  bitterly,  like  all  the  rest,  a  beautiful  lie,  an  exquisite 
parasite  and  cheat.  In  this  black-hearted  mood  he  received 
Ham  an. 

The  chief  counselor  quailed  inwardly  as  he  looked  into 
his  royal  master's  clouded  face.  It  seemed  a  most  unpropi- 
tious  day  in  the  which  to  beg  a  favor  of  the  King's  Majesty  ; 
yet  The  Pur  had  so  declared  it,  and  Queen  Atossa  had 
urged  him  to  the  course,  declaring  that  the  time  was  ripe 
for  decided  action.  Unlimited  money,  power  without 
end,  revenge  glutted  to  the  full,  the  royal  favor  unstinted, 
his  daughter  the  king's  wife — these  were  the  glittering 

200 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


guerdons  held  out  by  the  astute  queen.  On  the  other  hand, 
should  he  refuse  to  obey  she  pointed  to  certain  dishonor, 
banishment,  poverty,  and  perchance  death  in  some  loath 
some  form. 

Xerxes  stared  at  the  large,  florid  face  of  his  chief  ad 
viser  and  a  forked  lightning  flash  burst  from  the  black  cloud 
of  anger  that  encircled  him. 

"  Why  grimace  and  mouth  in  my  presence  like  a  sick 
ape?  "  he  demanded.  "  You  have,  I  perceive,  something  you 
wish  to  say.  Say  it  and  be  done.  I  am  in  no  mood  to  be 
approached  as  a  hunter  stalks  his  prey,  circling  wide,  yet 
drawing  ever  nearer  in  cautious  approaches.  Diplomacy  may 
suffice  with  such  vain  fellows  as  Meres.  But  I  cannot  be 
flattered,  cajoled  nor  persuaded  into  anything  contrary  to 
my  will.  From  henceforth  my  subjects  must  know  it,  or 
suffer  the  consequences  of  my  displeasure." 

Hainan's  dry  tongue  clave  to  the  roof  of  his  mouth;  but 
he  contrived  to  utter  the  opening  sentence  of  the  address 
he  had  carefully  prepared. 

"  I  am  here  to  present  to  the  king's  Excellent  Majesty  a 
matter  nearly  concerning  the  welfare  of  his  kingdom,  the 
enlargements  of  his  revenues  and " 

"What  is  it?     Speak  in  few  words,  or  leave  me." 

"  The  great  king  cannot  be  ignorant  of  the  fact  that 
there  is  dire  complaint  from  many  provinces  concerning  the 
severity  of  the  taxes;  and  this  together  with  failures  in 
divers  crops  and  untoward  business  conditions  in  the  great 
cities,  has  brought  about  a  general  state  of  poverty  and  rest 
lessness  among  the  people  everywhere." 

"  A  bad  case  truly,"  sneered  Xerxes.  "  What  is  your 
remedy,  wise  Haman?" 

The  privy  counselor  drew  a  deep  breath  and  slyly  moist 
ened  his  lips. 

'  'Tis  chiefly  of  the  remedy  I  would  speak,  Great  King. 
The  people  ignorantly  suppose  that  they  are  impoverished 

20 1 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


by  the  late  wars,  in  which  the  king  has  conquered  glo 
riously." 

Xerxes  made  an  impatient  gesture  of  denial,  and  Haman 
proceeded  rapidly,  his  small  eyes,  of  a  greenish  color,  rolling 
uneasily  from  side  to  side. 

"  But  the  people  are  mistaken.  They  are  not  impover 
ished  by  war  tax,  scarcity  of  harvests,  nor  yet  by  the  con 
ditions  of  trade.  All  these  are  normal  and  right,  fluctuating 
but  little  from  year  to  year.  The  real  cause  of  the  growing 
discontent  lies  in  quite  another  quarter;  and  it  waxes  big, 
day  by  day,  and  in  strength  and  rapacity,  also,  even  as  the 
vampire  bat  which  sucks  its  strength  from  the  carcass  to 
which  it  fastens.  The  kingdom  of  Persia  is  the  ox  which 
eats  abundant  grass  in  the  meadows,  yet  grows  ever  weaker, 
because  the  life  blood  is  being  secretly  drawn  from  its  veins 
by  such  a  vampire." 

"  If  you  can  speak  otherwise  than  in  riddles,  which  I 
hate,  do  so.  What  is  this  vampire,  which  sucks  the  strength 
and  substance  from  my  kingdom  ?  " 

Again  Hainan's  eyelids  fluttered  in  a  sudden  panic  of 
fear.  Despite  his  great  bulk,  he  was  essentially  a  coward, 
and  ready  even  now  to  back  away,  like  an  unbroken  horse, 
from  the  terrible  task  which  confronted  him.  Then  the 
remembrance  of  the  gravely  scornful  face  of  Matacas,  the 
Hebrew  scribe,  came  to  him,  and  hatred  contributed  a  false 
courage  which  fear  was  unable  to  supply. 

"  The  vampire,  my  Lord  King,  is  a  people,  a  captive  race, 
widely  scattered  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
king's  dominions.  This  people  fear  not  Ahura-Mazda,  the 
All-wise;  nor  do  they  worship  in  the  temples  according  to 
the  Zoroastrian  ceremonial  prescribed  by  the  king's  excellent 
laws.  They  keep  themselves  separate  in  all  things;  eating 
their  own  food,  worshiping  their  own  gods,  marrying  always 
among  themselves,  and  breeding  many  children.  Moreover, 
they  possess  for  wealth  the  curious  attraction  of  the  magnet 

202 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


for  the  iron;  so  that  in  whatever  cities  or  provinces  they 
dwell  gold  and  silver  flow  into  their  coffers  without  stint; 
to  be  hoarded  there  for — what?  This  no  man  can  say;  but 
those  wise  in  matters  of  statecraft,  and  knowing  something 
of  the  history  of  this  people  in  the  past,  will  tell  you  that 
they  plan  cunningly  to  gain  control  over  all  things  Persian, 
even  the  throne." 

"  Of  what  people  do  you  speak?  There  are  many  races 
commingled  in  Persia." 

"  This  people,  of  whom  I  speak  only  truth  to  the  great 
king,  mingles  not  with  other  races.  They  are  a  separate 
people;  and  will  ever  be.  I  speak,  divine  Xerxes,  of  the 
Hebrew  race." 

The  king  smote  his  knee  with  a  great  oath.  Then  for 
a  long  minute  he  appeared  lost  in  gloomy  thought. 

"  Granted,"  he  said  at  last,  in  a  changed  voice,  "  that 
what  you  have  said  is  true.  What  must  be  done  to  check 
the  greed,  the  insolent  rapacity  of  this  race  of  dogs?  " 

"  A  Hebrew  has  chanced  to  offend  the  king,"  was  the 
thought  which  leaped  unspoken  to  Hainan's  mind. 

"  The  remedy  must  be  drastic  and  thorough,"  he  made 
instant  answer,  his  voice  gathering  volume  and  authority  as 
befitted  the  great  statesman  and  privy  counselor.  "  As 
nothing  less  than  the  death  of  the  bloodthirsty  vampire  can 
relieve  the  suffering  ox,  so  nothing  less  than  a  complete  ex 
tirpation  of  the  people  of  which  I  have  spoken  may  restore 
the  kingdom  of  Persia  to  its  pristine  power  and  splendor. 
Let  this  race  of  foul  vampires  be  slain,  man,  woman  and 
child;  let  not  one  of  them  remain  to  perpetuate  his  kind. 
Then,  and  not  till  then,  will  the  tide  of  national  wealth 
which  has  been  diverted  from  the  king's  subjects  be  restored 
to  its  lawful  channels.  Complaints  will  cease ;  prosperity 
will  be  restored  in  full  measure,  and  the  name  of  the  king 
of  kings  will  be  glorified  in  every  nation  because  of  his 
foresight  and  wisdom;  and,  moreover,  all  foreigners  and 
14  203 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


captives  within  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  king's  domin 
ions  will  henceforth  fear  to  attack  the  glorious  body  of 
Persia  in  any  vulnerable  part." 

"  There  are  many  Jews  in  the  army,"  mused  the  king  ; 
"  and  many  more  in  my  own  employ  in  the  palace." 

"  Let  not  personal  considerations  influence  the  Great 
King  in  this  matter,  urged  Haman,  grown  ever  bolder,  as  he 
perceived  the  astonishing  effect  his  words  appeared  to  have 
exerted  over  the  king's  mind.  He  had  not  looked  for  so  easy 
a  victory.  Nevertheless,  he  thought  best  to  add  his  final 
argument. 

"If  my  words  seem  good  to  the  king,  let  it  be  now 
written  that  this  people  be  utterly  destroyed,  in  every  prov 
ince  and  city  of  the  king's  dominions;  and  I  will  myself  see 
to  the  carrying  out  of  the  decree.  I  will  also  pay  into  the 
king's  treasuries  ten  thousand  talents  of  silver,  that  there 
may  be  no  further  drain  on  the  royal  purse." 

Haman 's  voice  trembled  slightly  as  he  named  the  enor 
mous  bribe  which  had  previously  been  determined  upon  in 
a  secret  conclave  between  himself  and  Atossa. 

"  My  son  needs  money  sorely,"  said  the  old  queen.  "  I 
chance  to  know  this;  and  he  will,  therefore,  not  refuse  your 
.request." 

The  king  received  the  final  words  of  his  minister  in 
silence.  He  was  thinking  of  many  things,  but  chiefly  of  his 
queen  and  of  her  connection  with  this  hated  race.  It  was 
the  Hebrew,  Matacas,  who  had  first  drawn  his  attention  to 
the  beautiful  Babylonian  princess,  in  whose  love  he  vainly 
fancied  he  might  forget  his  unhappy  and  disappointing  past. 
It  was  Nathan,  a  Hebrew  prince,  who  had  dared  force 
his  way  through  the  king's  guard  to  lay  his  guilty  passion 
at  her  feet.  The  young  queen  had  denied  that  she  loved 
the  Jew;  but  could  she  be  trusted  to  speak  truth?  Was 
any  woman  to  be  trusted?  This  he  must  know  by  some 
means.  But  how? 

204 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


Haman,  mistaking  the  king's  continued  silence  to  mean 
displeasure  at  the  sum  named,  again  spoke. 

"  I  mentioned  ten  thousand  talents  of  silver,  my  Lord 
King,"  he  said,  humbly ;  "  and  this,  it  seemed,  might  more 
than  meet  the  expense  of  the  measure  proposed;  but  I  will 
even  make  it  half  as  much  again,  if  ten  thousand  talents  be 
not  sufficient — fifteen  thousand  talents  would " 

Xerxes  arose  abruptly  from  his  seat,  in  token  that  the 
audience  was  at  an  end;  and  once  more  Haman's  knees 
smote  together  in  craven  fear  of  anticipated  failure  and  its 
terrible  consequences.  But  the  king's  last  word  dissipated 
his  needless  terror  and  filled  him  with  hardly  concealed 
astonishment. 

"The  silver  is  yours;  the  people  also,  to  do  with  as 
you  will." 

"  Instantly  Haman  held  up  the  index  finger  of  his  right 
hand  in  token  that  scribes  be  called. 

"  The  edict,  Great  King,  shall  at  once  be  written,  and  the 
measure  carried  out  without  unnecessary  delay,"  he  said, 
and  added  the  formal  words  of  confirmation  of  a  decree ; 
which,  if  unchallenged,  established  the  spoken  word  of  the 
king  among  the  laws  unalterable,  which  could  not  be 
broken. 

That  same  day,  Matacas,  keeper  of  the  king's  seal,  and 
chief  of  all  the  scribes  in  the  palace  of  Shushan,  was  required 
to  properly  translate,  transcribe,  seal  and  dispatch  into  all 
the  one  hundred  and  twenty  and  seven  provinces  of  the 
king's  domain  a  document  which  provided  for  a  complete 
and  entire  annihilation  of  the  Hebrew  people ;  "  Be  they 
men,  women,  infants,  or  children;  in  whatever  town,  city, 
or  province ;  of  whatever  occupation,  profession,  or  trade ; 
all  such  shall  be  destroyed,  killed  and  caused  to  perish 
upon  one  day:  to  wit,  the  thirteenth  day  of  the  twelfth 
month,  which  is  the  month  of  Adar.  And  the  spoil  of 

205 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


these  shall  the  inhabitants  of  Persia  and  Media  take  for 
a  prey." 

And  thus  suddenly  did  the  storm  burst,  whose  distant 
mutterings  the  wise  scribe  had  long  since  heard  below  the 
horizon.  Such  of  his  assistants  as  were  of  his  own  nation 
ality  wept  and  cursed  and  tore  their  beards  and  their  gar 
ments;  but  Matacas  spoke  sternly  to  them,  forcing  them  to 
their  duty,  and  reminding  them  that  the  order  accompany 
ing  the  decree  was  haste;  and  that  even  now  the  swift  posts 
were  being  prepared  in  readiness  to  go  forth  that  same  night 
by  order  of  the  King's  Majesty.  He  added,  what  they  knew 
right  well,  that  outcries  and  disobedience  but  meant  a  swifter 
destruction;  and  also  that  Jehovah  still  ruled  over  Israel, 
albeit  his  ear  seemed  heavy  at  times,  and  the  arm  that  had 
saved  the  nation  in  past  ages  shortened  that  it  could  not  save. 

All  night  the  scribes  labored  at  their  dreadful  task  with 
white  faces  and  haggard  eyes  and  lips  that  muttered  alter 
nate  prayers  and  curses.  At  dawn  all  was  finished  and  the 
posts  went  out.  The  words  of  doom,  moreover,  were  bla 
zoned  in  many  languages  upon  the  walls  of  the  city  and  in 
the  courts  of  the  palace  itself,  that  every  inhabitant  might 
read  and  understand. 

And  Mordecai,  his  labors  being  at  length  finished,  went 
out  into  the  midst  of  the  city,  clothed  in  sackcloth  and  with 
ashes  upon  his  head  and  beard,  and  cried  with  a  loud  and 
bitter  cry. 


XXIII 

HE  Princess  Amytis  paused  with  one  small, 
sandaled  foot  on  the  threshold  of  the  royal 
gardens  to  wipe  one  or  two  rebellious  tears 
from  her  eyes;  then  she  stepped  proudly 
past  the  guards  in  their  imperial  uniforms, 
and  hastened  toward  the  central  pavilion, 
where  she  had  been  bidden  to  an  interview  with  her 
father. 

She  had  not  of  late  been  often  with  the  king,  who  ap 
peared  indeed  to  have  forgotten  his  children,  together  with 
the  more  arduous  cares  of  state  and  many  less  important 
things,  in  the  new  and  delightful  life  with  his  queen.  Now 
he  had  been  forced  to  recall  the  existence  of  a  daughter  by 
reason  of  an  offer  of  marriage  which,  in  the  judgment  of 
his  counselors  could  neither  be  refused  nor  lightly  set  aside, 
inasmuch  as  it  was  preferred  by  the  Median  satrap,  Mathis- 
tan,  Prince  of  Ecbatana,  a  man  of  vast  consequence  in  his 
own  eyes  and  possessing,  moreover,  the  power  to  foment  or 
quell  disquieting  revolts  as  best  suited  his  interests. 

207 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


Xerxes  looked  up  from  the  parchments  he  was  studying 
as  his  daughter  entered  the  small  room  in  which  he  was 
sitting. 

"  Ah,  child,  you  are  here  as  I  bade  you !  Sit  yonder 
whilst  I  finish  these  matters.  The  scribes  are  waiting." 

The  girl  pouted  with  anger  at  the  delay,  and  fresh  tears 
arose  to  her  blue  eyes,  to  be  furtively  wiped  away  as  the 
slow  minutes  lengthened. 

At  last  the  king  gave  the  parchments  into  the  hand  of  the 
waiting  scribe,  and  turned  with  a  grave  countenance  to  his 
daughter.  He  had  not  been  unmindful  of  her  agitation  when 
she  entered  his  presence,  and  he  had  purposely  given  her  time 
in  which  to  conquer  her  tears. 

"  Come  and  sit  at  my  side,  daughter,"  he  said  kindly. 
"  I  wish  to  speak  with  you  concerning  this  matter  of  your 
approaching  marriage." 

The  princess  colored  angrily  over  all  her  fair  face.  But 
she  answered  with  forced  composure: 

"  Is  it  settled,  then,  that  I  must  marry  this  hateful  Me 
dian,  and  be  banished  forever  from  the  persons  and  the 
scenes  I  love?  " 

Xerxes  frowned ;  then  smiled. 

"  You  put  the  matter  unfairly,  Amytis.  Come,  let  us 
be  reasonable  and  speak  of  the  matter  calmly.  You  are  too 
truly  a  daughter  of  mine  to  allow  prejudice  and  passion 
to  rule  your  actions." 

It  was  the  turn  of  Amytis  to  smile.  She  knew  as  well 
as  the  rest  of  the  narrow  court  world  that  both  passion  and 
prejudice  ruled  Xerxes  in  many — far  too  many — of  his 
words  and  actions.  But  she  answered  with  girlish  diplomacy. 

"  I  am  not  great  and  wise  like  my  father,  the  Great  King  ; 
yet  like  him  I  also  love  certain  ones  and  hate  and  despise 
others.  This  I  cannot  help,  and  would  not  if  I  could. 
Now  this  Median,  I " 

"  You  have  not  yet  seen  the  Prince  of  Ecbatana,  little 
208 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


one ;  how  then  can  you  hate  and  despise  him  ?  Nay ;  you 
should  rather  love  him  of  whom  you  have  heard  only  good." 

"  I  have  heard  nothing  concerning  the  man,  save  that 
he  is  old  and  ugly,  and  dwells  in  Ecbatana,  and  that  he 
wishes  to  make  me  his  wife.  Why  should  the  Median  wish 
to  marry  one  whom  he  has  never  seen?  But  you  need  not 
answer;  I  know  already.  It  is  because  I  am  the  daughter 
of  Xerxes;  I  might  be  cross-eyed,  black,  deformed,  pock 
marked;  it  would  not  matter  to  the  man;  he  would  still 
wish  to  wed  me." 

"  But  you  are,  on  the  contrary,  beautiful,  my  child ;  and 
of  the  Prince  of  Ecbatana  I  will  tell  you  one  or  two  things. 
He  is  not  old ;  he  is,  in  fact,  no  older  than  I." 

Amytis  shrugged  her  slim  shoulders  with  a  resigned  air 
of  girlish  tolerance. 

"  And  furthermore,  he  is  not  at  all  ill-looking,"  the  king 
went  on ;  "  on  the  contrary,  Mathistan  is  called  a  personable 
man,  of  a  bold  and  martial  bearing.  But  these  are  minor 
considerations.  The  point  is  that  you  must  wed,  Prin 
cess;  and  this  man  pleases  me.  He  will,  therefore,  please 
you." 

"  Why  say  you  '  therefore,'  my  father?  I  do  not  esteem 
all  the  persons  who  please  you.  Now  Hege  I  detest  and 
despise.  And  that  great  counselor  of  yours,  Haman,  is  no 
better.  He  reminds  me  of  nothing  so  much  as  of  a  great, 
cowardly  boy,  who  eats  too  much  for  his  good  every  day, 
and " 

"  You  forget  yourself,  Princess,"  her  father  said  sternly. 
"Come;  you  will  obey  me  in  this  matter  of  the  marriage 
and  all  will  be  well." 

To  his  amazement  and  something  very  like  dismay,  his 
.haughty  daughter  threw  herself  at  his  feet  with  a  burst  of 
wild  tears  and  incoherent  words. 

"  Why,  what —  Nay  you  must  control  yourself,  my 
child;  I  cannot  understand  this — this  utter  abandonment  of 

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your  self-control.     There.     This  is  better.     Now  tell  me 
what  troubles  you." 

"  I  love  another." 

"  You?  You  love  another?  Impossible!  when  no  man 
save  your  brothers  and  myself  are  known  to  you.  Has  your 
mother  dared  to " 

"  Do  not  blame  my  poor  mother.  She  has  never  con 
trolled  my  actions  nor  my  thoughts.  But  there  is  no  use 
of  even  speaking  to  you  concerning  the  man — the  only  man 
I  could  love.  He  is  already  condemned  to  death." 

Xerxes  drew  his  black  brows  over  his  stern  eyes  in  a 
way  that  his  attendants  feared. 

"  You  must  enlighten  me  further,  Princess,"  he  said 
coldly.  "  Who  is  this  man,  whom  the  daughter  of  the  Great 
King  has  so  favored  ?  " 

"  He  is  a  Hebrew,  and  you  have  condemned  all  of  his 
race  to  death  and  dishonor.  How  could  you  be  so  cruel  ?  " 

The  king  was  silent  for  a  space. 

"What  is  the  man's  name?"  he  said  at  last. 

Amytis  looked  timidly  at  the  frowning  face  from  under 
her  long  lashes. 

"  I  do  not  like  to  tell  you  when  you  appear  so  angry, 
father.  I  fear  you  might  command  your  terrible  swordsmen 
to  kill  him  at  once,  and  that  would  break  my  heart." 

"  A  woman's  heart  is  not  easily  broken,"  muttered  the 
king,  his  thoughts  once  more  centered  upon  Esther  and  her 
Hebrew  lover.  Were  all  his  women  mad  over  these  con 
demned  captives  of  an  alien  race,  he  wondered  bitterly. 
Something  of  his  thought  colored  his  next  words. 

"  The  Hebrews  are  a  deceitful  and  dangerous  people," 
he  said,  sternly.  "  I  will  not  longer  suffer  them  in  my 
dominions." 

"  But  it  is  so  sweet  to  love,"  murmured  the  girl.  "  And 
what  heaven  to  be  beloved !  You  know  that,  dear  father  ; 
for  Esther  loves  you  more  than  all  the  world." 

2IO 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


At  this  bold  and,  to  the  king's  mind,  indelicate  refer 
ence  to  his  private  relations  with  his  queen,  Xerxes'  brow 
grew  black  as  night.  He  opened  his  lips  to  make  scathing 
reply;  then  something  in  the  girl's  clear  eyes  checked  him. 
She  was,  after  all,  not  unlike  the  woman  who  had  won  his 
heart  in  her  perfect  innocence  of  the  world  and  her  girlish 
directness.  These  were  the  qualities  Xerxes  most  prized 
in  a  woman;  yet  a  mischievous  or  malign  fate  appeared  to 
have  decreed  that  he  must  always  be  crushing  them  beneath 
the  iron  heel  of  his  anger.  He  looked  searchingly  at  his 
daughter. 

"  Do  you  see  the  queen  often  since  she  became  my  wife?  " 
he  asked. 

"Oh,  yes;  very  often,"  replied  the  girl,  with  obvious 
pleasure  and  relief.  She  even  smiled  as  she  reflected  that 
by  means  of  her  friendship  with  Esther  she  might  hope  to 
escape  the  hated  marriage  with  the  Median  prince. 

"When  did  you  last  see  her?" 

The  lurking  anxiety  in  the  king's  voice  did  not  escape 
the  girl.  She  returned  his  keen  look  with  one  of  frank 
reproach. 

"  I  saw  her  yesterday,  my  father.  I  went  to  her  palace 
to  carry  some  new  scrolls  of  Persian  poetry,  which  she  loves 
even  as  I  do,  and  found  her  weeping." 

"Weeping?  Did  my — did  the  queen  tell  you  why  she 
wept?" 

He  clenched  his  great  hands  beneath  his  robe.  He 
thought  he  knew  the  answer  right  well. 

"  Not  at  first.  But  I  persuaded  her.  She  feared  that 
you — that  she  had  offended  the  king." 

"And   this — this  fear  caused  her  grief?" 

The  king's  voice  rang  scornfully;  a  sneering  smile  curled 
the  corners  of  his  mouth. 

"  Why  should  she  not  grieve  whose  heart  is  bound  up 
with  the  king's  love?  You  made  her  love  you,  and  she  can- 

211 


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not  help  it  now,  though  it  is  wiser  for  queens  and  royal 
princesses  not  to  love  too  deeply — so  my  mother  says." 

At  this  incautious  allusion  Xerxes'  dark  face  reddened 
furiously. 

"  You — you  are  overbold,  girl !  'Twere  best  for  the 
daughter  of  Amestris  to  keep  her  distance  from  Queen 
Esther." 

"  I  am  the  daughter  of  Xerxes,"  the  girl  said  proudly; 
"  and  why  should  I  not  choose  the  friends  that  please  me? 
Esther  found  favor  in  my  eyes  even  before  she  had  the 
good  fortune  to  attract  the  king's  notice.  I  was  not  even 
surprised  when  I  was  told  that  you  would  marry  her.  I 
should  have  wed  her  myself,  had  I  been  a  man." 

The  king  could  not  conceal  a  smile  at  this  arrogant 
speech. 

"  I  repeat  that  you  are  bold  to  the  verge  of  indiscretion, 
daughter  of  Xerxes;  it  will  be  well,  I  think,  for  you  to 
reside  at  Ecbatana  in  the  future." 

"Oh,  father!  At  least  permit  me  to  wait  a  month  or 
two  before  deciding.  You  will  first  let  me  see  the  man, 
and " 

"  I  have  already  commanded  Mathistan's  presence  at 
court.  You  will  have  opportunity  to  become  acquainted 
with  him  before  the  marriage  takes  place.  Go  now.  But 
stay;  there  is  one  thing  I  would  ask  you.  Did  the  queen 
confide  in  you  further — to  the  unfoldment  of  the  matter 
wherein  she  feared  she  had  offended  me?" 

The  king's  halting  words  held  strange  inflections,  as  of 
fear  or  perplexity;  and  Amytis,  pondering  his  reply,  briefly 
decided  that  one  of  the  many  unsuspected  foes  of  the  young 
queen  had  been  making  secret  mischief  between  the  two.  She 
answered  therefore  with  all  the  boldness  for  which  her 
royal  father  had  reproved  her. 

"  The  king  is,  of  course,  aware  that  more  than  one  per 
son  in  the  palace  envies  the  queen;  and  because  they  envy 

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and  therefore  hate  her  they  will  undoubtedly  try  to  cut  her 
off  from  the  favor  of  the  king." 

"  I  did  not  know  this,  Amytis ;  and  I  am  not  pleased  to 
learn  that  you  are  thus  early  being  drawn  into  palace  in 
trigue." 

"  I  am  entangled  in  no  intrigue,"  said  the  girl,  lifting 
her  small  head  with  a  pride  equal  to  his  own,  "  nor  will 
I  be  ever.  I  hate  and  despise  the  perpetual  small  hatreds 
and  petty  wranglings  with  which  the  women  of  the  royal 
house  regale  themselves  as  with  sweetmeats.  But  everyone 
is  forced  to  excuse  my  grandmother,  because  she  is  the 
daughter  of  Cyrus  and  the  king's  mother.  I  excuse  her 
chiefly  because  she  is  now  old  and  knows  no  better." 

"  Atossa! "  exclaimed  the  king  sharply.  "  I  had  for 
gotten  my  mother." 

"  It  is  not  wise  to  forget  one's  mother — for  long,"  the 
princess  said  dryly.  "  And  more  especially  if  that  mother 
chances  to  be  a  thrice  royal  lady  who  never  forgets  herself 
for  even  the  fraction  of  an  hour." 

The   king   looked    fixedly   at   his   daughter. 

"  There  is  a  certain  Hebrew,  at  present  absent  with  a 
detachment  of  the  army,  who  once  loved  Esther." 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  said  the  girl,  frankly.  "  It  was  the 
Prince  of  Edom." 

"  She  told  you  this?  " 

"  I  compelled  her  to  tell  me  as  much ;  for  I  already 
suspected  it." 

"You  suspected  it!     How,  in  the  name  of  Ormazd?" 

"  I  was  jealous,"  timidly  confessed  the  princess,  with 
eyes  down-dropt.  "  But  I  found  my  fears  quite  unneces 
sary.  He  loved  her  when  she  was  but  a  child.  Who  could 
help  it?  But  she " 

"  She  returned  his  love,  of  course." 

The  girl  glanced  at  her  father  in  open  astonishment. 
He  appeared  to  have  had  no  ears  for  her  own  tacit 

213 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


confession.  His  eyes  were  imperiously  demanding  her 
answer. 

"  I  have  already  told  you  that  Esther  loves  the  king, 
my  father ;  and  no  woman  can  love  two  men  equally  and 
at  the  same  time,  though  it  would  seem  that  a  man  has 
often  accomplished  as  much." 

"She  loves  no  one  save  the  king.  Aye;  she  swore  it; 
but  I  did  not  believe  her." 

"  Would  you  prefer  to  believe  my  grandmother,  then  ? 
She  will  be  overjoyed  to  assure  you  that  there  is  no  such 
thing  in  all  the  world  as  love;  but  only  hatred,  and  ambi 
tion,  and  lust  of  gold.  I  am  glad  I  do  not  believe  a  word 
she  says,  though  may  Ahura-Mazda  forgive  me  the  crime  of 
dishonoring  an  ancestress !  " 

The  king  did  not  appear  to  have  heard  this  pious  wish, 
and  after  a  moment  of  frowning  silence,  he  dismissed  his 
daughter  with  a  peremptory  word  which  she  could  not  but 
choose  to  obey. 


XXIV 


STHER,  the  queen,  had  received  neither 
word  nor  sign  from  her  royal  consort  for 
many  days;  and  her  attendants,  both  male 
and  female,  were  eyeing  her  with  sly  glances 
of  curiosity,  not  unmixed  with  alarm.  Was 
the  star  of  this  new  favorite  but  lately  in  its 
zenith  so  soon  approaching  a  swift  eclipse  ?  Had  she  angered 
the  king  by  some  unthinking  caprice?  Or  was  he  already 
weary  of  the  charms  in  which  he  had  delighted  himself  to  the 
full?  Artisonna,  the  beautiful  Princess  of  Media,  whom 
Atossa  had  taken  under  the  sheltering  wing  of  her  royal 
favor,  still  remained  in  the  house  of  the  dowager  queen,  and 
it  was  rumored  that  she  would  shortly  be  presented  to  the 
king  with  due  pomp  and  ceremony. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  disquieting  buzz  of  hardly  sup 
pressed  surmise  and  suspicion,  Esther  alone  remained  tran 
quil.  If  she  felt  any  fear,  any  humiliation  of  spirit,  any 
anguish  of  wounded  affection,  any  torture  of  jealousy,  she 
hid  all  beneath  a  dignified  reserve  of  manner  which  effec- 

215 


THE    STAR   OF    LOVE 


tually  kept  at  a  distance  those  who  would  have  hastened 
to  probe  her  wounds  under  a  specious  show  of  loyalty  and 
affection. 

Even  the  queen  mother,  ever  ready  to  gloat  over  a  vic 
tim  of  her  wiles,  failed  to  derive  anticipated  satisfaction 
from  an  interview  which  she  made  occasion  to  demand  with 
the  woman  she  chose  to  consider  an  impudent  intruder  in 
royal  circles. 

Atossa  had  presented  herself  in  the  palace  of  the  new 
queen  with  more  than  her  wonted  grandeur  of  retinue.  She 
had  been  at  once  admitted  to  one  of  the  large,  beautiful 
rooms,  lately  fitted  up  with  a  magnificence  hitherto  unknown 
even  in  the  magnificent  palace  of  the  most  magnificent  of 
living  monarchs;  and  here  her  wrath  and  bitterness  of  spirit 
threatened  to  quite  overflow  their  bounds  as  she  narrowly 
examined  the  rich  furniture  of  ivory  and  gold,  the  tables 
of  lapis  luzuli  and  agate,  the  walls  inlaid  with  precious  stones 
and  metals,  the  hangings  of  marvelous  Babylonian  stuffs  and 
the  rich  carpets  from  Egypt  and  the  more  distant  provinces 
of  Ind. 

The  young  queen  entered  with  a  graceful  gliding  step, 
just  as  the  fiery  eyes  of  the  old  woman  had  finished 
their  tour  of  inspection;  she  bowed  low  before  the  mother 
of  her  husband,  but  did  not  kneel  as  Atossa  evidently 
expected. 

"How  is  this?"  cried  the  imperial  scold,  "that  you 
do  no  reverence  to  the  mother  of  the  great  king?  You  who 
are  not  even  royal  in  your  antecedents." 

"  I  do  such  reverence  before  the  mother  of  Xerxes  as 
is  fitting  for  one  who  kneels  not  to  the  great  king  him 
self,"  answered  Esther,  in  her  soft,  sweet  voice.  She  be 
trayed  no  sign  of  fear  or  anger,  but  looked  down  from  her 
superior  height  upon  the  shrunken  form  of  Atossa  with  a 
grave  smile. 

"  Xerxes  does  not  permit  me  to  do  obeisance  before  him," 
216 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


she  added ;  "  how  then  shall  I  bow  my  knee  before  any  other 
human  being?  " 

"  Hah!  you  save  your  devotions  for  your  god.  Tell  me, 
woman,  whom  do  you  worship,  and  after  what  manner?  " 

"  I  worship  the  one  God,  the  All-wise,  in  whom  alone 
dwells  truth  and  purity,"  replied  Esther  in  a  low,  resonant 
voice.  She  had  used  the  Persian  words  devoted  to  Ahura- 
Mazda,  when  she  uttered  the  phrase  descriptive  of  the  at 
tributes  of  deity.  And  in  this  she  conceived  that  she  did 
no  wrong;  since,  if  there  was  but  one  God,  he  might  be 
variously  called  of  the  various  nations  without  sin. 

The  old  queen,  foiled  in  this  attack,  seated  herself  upon 
a  great  chair  and  motioned  to  the  younger  woman  to  stand 
before  her. 

"  What  think  you  of  the  edict  of  the  king  against  the 
Hebrew  race  ?  "  was  her  next  shaft,  selected  with  care  from 
among  the  many  poisoned  arrows  in  her  quiver. 

"The  king's  edict  against  the  Hebrews?"  faltered 
Esther,  and  her  face  became  suddenly  pallid  as  the  snows 
of  distant  Lauristan. 

Atossa   observed   this  with   cruel   satisfaction. 

"What!"  she  exclaimed,  in  affected  surprise,  "then 
it  was  not  you  who  influenced  my  son  against  the  cowardly, 
foreign  dogs?  I  was  about  to  congratulate  you  upon  your 
shrewdness  in  so  doing.  But  you  did  not  even  know  of  it? 
I  confess  that  you  surprise  me.  How  can  this  be  the  case 
with  the  king's  latest  favorite?" 

The  old  queen's  insulting  emphasis  upon  the  last  word 
roused  Esther  from  her  condition  of  paralyzed  terror,  as  the 
sharp  touch  of  the  goad  rouses  a  spirited  steed.  She  lifted 
her  head  and  gazed  at  the  older  woman  with  a  hauteur 
equal  to  her  own. 

"  You  mistake,  Madame  and  Queen,"  she  said,  distinctly, 
"  I  am  the  king's  wife." 

"  You  are  also  a  Hebrew,  and  condemned  to  death  under 
217 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


the  law!"  hissed  the  old  queen,  throwing  prudence  to  the 
winds  in  her  fury.  "  Even  now  your  scheming  kinsman, 
Matacas,  the  king's  despised  tool  and  parasite,  beats  upon 
his  breast  in  sackcloth  without  the  palace  gate;  whilst 
you — "  her  look  was  terrible — "  deck  yourself  with  jewels 
like  a  low-born  concubine.  But  you  shall  perish  with  the 
rest,  woman,  be  assured  of  that !  " 

Then  she  swept  away  in  a  whirlwind  of  rage  and  strong 
perfumes  and  rustling  silks  and  floating  tissues,  leaving  the 
young  queen  half  fainting  in  sick  terror. 

Esther  recovered  herself  presently  by  a  strong  effort  of 
the  will,  and  in  this  hour  of  her  dire  need  she  again  lifted 
her  heart  in  agonized  petition  to  the  unseen  Presence  which 
she  had  learned  to  find  in  the  silence,  and  in  whose  unfail 
ing  effluence  she  had  discovered  a  singular  joy  and  peace 
which  the  world  could  not  reach.  How  long  she  remained 
alone  with  bowed  head  and  petitioning  lips  she  knew  not ; 
but  she  suddenly  became  aware  of  a  strange  presence  in  the 
room.  The  figure  was  that  of  a  majestically  beautiful 
woman,  clothed  in  a  voluminous  garment  of  white,  which 
shimmered  curiously  as  if  the  body  beneath  emitted  actual 
light.  The  eyes  of  the  woman  were  set  full  upon  the  young 
queen,  and  there  was  a  look  in  them  of  great  tenderness,  yet 
of  tenderness  blended  with  strength  and  strong  encourage 
ment.  As  Esther  gazed  at  the  still  face  she  felt  herself  filled 
with  an  unreasoning  comfort  that  asked  not  its  source,  but 
knew  itself  to  be. 

"  Call  now  thy  kinsman,  Mordecai,  and  bid  him  cease 
his  mourning  and  be  of  good  courage." 

The  words  seemed  impressed  upon  Esther's  consciousness 
rather  than  spoken.  Then  of  a  sudden  the  strange,  shining 
woman  was  gone,  and  the  queen  remained  alone.  She  called 
her  attendants  presently,  and  questioned  them  straitly ;  but 
they  all  agreed  that  no  visitor  had  gone  in  or  out  from 
the  queen's  presence  that  day  save  Atossa,  the  mother  of  the 

218 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


king.  They  looked  also  to  see  a  frightened  horror  or  a 
ghastly  fear  writ  large  upon  the  face  of  their  mistress.  What 
they  did  see  rilled  them  with  amazement.  The  queen's  large 
eyes  held  a  mysterious  light  of  peace,  and  her  mouth  curved 
itself  in  new  lines  of  strength  and  beauty. 

"  Go,"  she  said  to  Hatach,  one  of  the  king's  chamber 
lains,  "  and  find  Matacas,  the  scribe.  Fetch  to  him  gar 
ments,  also,  and  bid  him  lay  off  the  sackcloth  of  mourning 
and  be  of  good  courage." 

The  eunuch  returned  anon  and  informed  the  queen  that 
he  had  found  Matacas,  even  before  the  king's  gate,  for  no 
one  might  enter  the  palace  wearing  the  emblems  of  grief 
or  dishonor,  and  that  the  Hebrew  scribe  wept  unceasingly 
and  beat  upon  his  breast  because  of  the  edict. 

"  Moreover,"  quoth  Hatach,  "  the  Jew  refused  to  receive 
the  garment  at  my  hand;  and  he  bade  me  tell  the  Queen's 
Majesty  that  all  the  Hebrew  nation  had  been  sold  for  both 
slaughter  and  pillage  to  Xerxes,  the  king,  for  the  sum  of 
ten  thousand  talents  of  silver;  and  that  this  had  been  done 
by  no  other  than  Haman,  the  Agagite." 

Hatach  delivered  this  message  word  for  word,  as  he 
had  been  bidden.  He  also  eyed  the  queen  with  large  eyes 
of  wonder,  and  waited,  with  his  curled  and  perfumed  head 
cocked  impudently  to  one  side,  until  she  should  cry  out  or 
faint.  He  was  of  those  who  had  been  corrupted  by  Atossa; 
yet  he  could  not  find  it  in  his  heart  to  altogether  hate  his 
gentle  mistress,  who  now  appeared  so  sorely  beset  and  with 
out  friends  in  the  palace. 

"  If  the  queen  will  but  listen  to  me,"  he  went  on,  low 
ering  his  voice  to  a  whisper,  "  I  counsel  instant  flight,  with 
what  jewels  and  valuables  may  be  hastily  gathered.  I  will 
myself  accompany  the  queen,  and  bestow  her  in  a  place  of 
safety;  for  I  am  a  man  of  substance,  and  have  estates  in 
Erivan." 

The  manikin  swelled  out  his  pitiful  person  with  all  the 
15  219 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


airs  of  pride  and  arrogance  his  kind  were  wont  to  assume 
to  themselves. 

"  Be  advised  by  me,  lovely  queen,"  he  again  urged,  "  as 
by  one  who  knows  the  cruel  ways  of  a  royal  court.  With 
the  king's  affections  alienated  and  the  old  queen  an  avowed 
enemy,  the  palace  is  no  place  of  safety  for  a  young  and 
beautiful  woman  of  the  queen's  nationality.  Believe  me, 
flight  is  the  only " 

Esther  checked  him  with  an  imperative  gesture. 

"  Be  silent!  "  she  commanded.  "  I  do  not  require  your 
counsels.  Go  now  again  to  Matacas,  the  king's  scribe, 
and  tell  him  that  the  queen  commands  him  to  come  to  her. 
Turn  not  to  the  right  hand  nor  the  left,  but  instantly 
obey  me." 

Matacas  came  to  the  queen  after  an  hour  or  more.  He 
had  put  off  his  sackcloth,  but  a  garment  of  sad-colored  stuff 
covered  his  gaunt  figure  from  his  head  to  his  feet,  and  his 
great  beard  was  torn  and  disordered. 

The  young  queen,  in  her  beautiful  robes  of  white  and 
violet  and  gold,  and  wearing  the  many  jewels  her  tire 
woman  had  put  on  her,  came  to  meet  him. 

"  Tell  me,"  she  entreated,  "  what  is  this  word  I  had 
from  thee  by  the  mouth  of  Hatach,  whom  I  do  not  trust? 
And  from  Queen  Atossa,  also,  who  seems  to  have  no  other 
feeling  save  hatred  for  everyone  ?  " 

Forthwith  Matacas  repeated  to  her  all  the  terrible  words 
of  the  edict  which  the  king  had  made,  and  which  was  now 
published  in  all  the  provinces  both  far  and  near. 

"  You  will  do  well,  woman,  to  put  off  the  garments  of 
praise  in  which  you  have  clothed  yourself  as  for  a  festival," 
he  said,  and  his  voice  held  the  harsh  melancholy  of  genera 
tions  of  mourning  prophets,  "  and  put  on  the  garb  of  woe 
and  mourning.  For  think  not  that  you  will  escape  the  doom 
of  your  people  in  this  gilded  palace.  There  will  be  those 
appointed  to  take  your  life,  even  here." 

220 


"SHE    PAUSED,    A    VOICELESS    PRAYER    TO    ELOHIM     RISING    FROM    HER    WHITE    LIPS." 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


"  But  surely  Jehovah  reigneth  in  Israel,  as  he  has  ever 
reigned!"  cried  Esther.  "He  will  save  us!" 

"  Not  always  does  Jehovah  listen  to  the  cries  of  his 
people — alas !  "  groaned  Mordecai ;  "  for,  behold,  we  have 
all  sinned  grievously,  and  there  is  no  prophet,  no  leader, 
no  one  to  save,  unless — "  He  ceased  speaking,  and  looked 
half  sternly,  half  tenderly,  into  the  beautiful  face  uplifted 
to  his.  "  There  is  no  savior  for  Israel,"  he  repeated, 
"  unless  thou,  my  child,  art  the  chosen  instrument  for  our 
relief." 

"  I,  Mordecai?    Nay,  what  can  I  do?  " 

"  Thou  must  even  go  to  the  king,  and  tell  him  of  thy 
nationality,  and  entreat  him  to  give  to  thee  thy  life  and 
the  lives  of  thy  people.  There  is  no  other  way." 

"  But,  Mordecai ;  the  king  is  angry  with  me — he  does 
not  trust  me,  because  I  would  not  break  my  promise  made 
to  you  so  long  ago.  Ah!  if  I  might  have  told  him  while 
yet  he  loved  me.  But  now  I  fear  him." 

"  Nevertheless,  my  child,  you  must  obey  me.  It  was 
not  that  you  might  wear  jewels,  sleep  soft,  and  be  nourished 
upon  the  fat  of  many  lands  that  Jehovah  led  me  to  bring 
you  to  the  palace,  but  for  such  a  time  as  this!  And  mark 
you  well,  woman,  if  you  refuse  to  do  this  thing  which  has 
been  appointed  to  you,  deliverance  will  arise  for  the  Jews 
from  some  other  source.  Jehovah  will  not  suffer  His  chosen 
ones  to  utterly  perish,  but  thou  and  thine  shall  be  swept 
away,  and  black  oblivion  shall  swallow  both  thee  and  me." 

Esther  trembled  exceedingly  as  these  solemn  words 
sounded  in  her  young  ears.  She  laid  fast  hold  upon 
Mordecai's  garment  of  sad-colored  cloth  and  closed  her 
eyes. 

"  There  is  a  law,  a  terrible  law — have  you  not  heard 
of  it? — that  no  one,  either  man  or  woman,  may  come  into 
the  king's  presence  and  live  except  such  as  he  calls,  or 
those  to  whom  he  holds  out  the  sceptre  of  his  clemency; 

221 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


and  I — woe  is  me! — I  have  not  been  bidden  to  the  king 
these  many  days.  And  I  am  afraid !  " 

"  Nevertheless,  thou  wilt  go  unbidden,"  answered  Mor- 
decai.  "  Think  well  of  what  I  have  said,  my  child,  and 
be  brave  and  very  courageous,  for  so  shalt  thou  be  blessed, 
and  it  may  be  that  Jehovah  shall  deliver  thee,  even  as  He 
delivered  His  servant  Daniel  from  the  wrath  of  the  king 
and  from  the  jaws  of  the  lions." 

The  queen   drew  a  deep,  sobbing  breath. 

"  Go  thou,"  she  said,  "  and  gather  all  the  Jews  that  are 
in  Shushan,  and  fast  ye  for  me,  and  neither  eat  nor  drink 
three  days,  night  or  day.  I  also  and  my  maidens  will  fast, 
and  so  I  will  go  to  the  king.  And  if  I  perish,  I  perish !  " 

On  the  third  day  thereafter  Esther  bade  her  fainting 
women  put  on  her  the  robes  of  state,  and  the  diadem  which 
the  king  himself  had  once  set  upon  her  head.  And  when 
all  was  finished  she  stood  among  them,  tall  and  pure  as  a 
stately  lily.  Like  a  white  flower,  also,  was  her  face,  and 
her  eyes  burned  beneath  their  curved  lashes  like  distant  stars. 

Then,  with  her  trembling  maidens  following  in  her 
wake,  as  became  a  great  queen,  she  passed  out  from  her 
chamber,  and  with  stately  tread  walked  toward  the  great 
Hall  of  Columns,  where  sat  the  king  in  audience,  surrounded 
by  his  guards. 

Now  she  had  passed  under  the  great  portico,  where  swal 
lows  darted  in  and  out  with  wild,  sweet  cries  to  their  nests 
in  the  carven  rafters,  and  anon  she  moved  under  the  dark 
ling  shadows  of  the  vast  square  columns.  She  paused  at 
length  near  one  of  the  great  winged  lions  of  the  king's  ante 
chamber,  a  voiceless  prayer  to  Elohim,  the  Hebrew's  God, 
rising  from  her  white  lips.  Within,  the  slanting  sun  struck 
sparks  of  splendor  from  the  gemmed  throne  and  from  the 
waiting  swords  of  the  executioners  stationed  on  either  side 
of  the  dais.  And  now  she  could  see  her  husband's  dark  face 

222 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


beneath  the  kingly  tiara;  he  was  frowning  as  if  with  sur 
prise  and  displeasure,  as  his  eye  fell  upon  the  little  proces 
sion  advancing  toward  the  throne. 

"Who  is  this?"  he  demanded  sharply,  "who  thus  ap 
pears  before  me  unbidden  ?  " 

The  queen's  slight  figure  swayed  toward  him  a  little,  like 
a  tall,  white  flower  upon  its  stalk;  yet  in  that  supreme  mo 
ment  she  thought  only  that  she  was  once  more  in  the  pres 
ence  of  the  man  she  loved.  Her  eyes,  deep  and  wonderful 
as  the  eyes  of  a  glorified  spirit,  rested  full  upon  him. 

Slowly  the  king  raised  his  golden  scepter  tipped  with 
a  great  jewel  that  blazed  like  a  lesser  sun  in  that  shaded 
place. 

And  Esther  touched  the  scepter  of  the  king's  clemency, 
her  eyes  still  upon  his,  questioning  him,  pleading  with  him, 
adoring  him. 


XXV 

N  the  days  of  Xerxes  a  man  might  love  a 
beautiful  woman,  but  he  would  not  on  that 
account  rely  upon  her  word  nor  trust  her 
honor.  To  do  so  was  considered  a  mark  of 
senility  or  absolute  imbecility.  Nevertheless, 
the  King  of  Media  and  Persia  as  he  looked 
into  the  face  of  his  queen  felt  a  sudden  lightening  of  the 
gloom  which  he  had  for  so  many  days  harbored  within  his 
breast.  He  needed  not,  he  told  himself,  to  ask  her  any  fur 
ther  questions.  He  knew  deep  down  in  some  unsounded 
depth  of  his  consciousness  that  she  was  true,  and,  knowing 
this,  his  unworthy  suspicions  slunk  away  like  cowed  tigers. 
He  arose  from  his  royal  seat  and  took  her  by  the  hand, 
while  all  in  that  fateful  chamber  set  eyes  of  wonder,  hate,  or 
scorn  upon  her  fair,  pallid  face. 

"  You  would  ask  a  boon  of  me,  my  queen,"  he  said,  his 
eyes  begging  forgiveness  of  hers.  "  Tell  me  without  fear 
what  it  is,  and  it  shall  be  thine,  even  were  it  the  half  of  my 
kingdom." 

224 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


And  Esther,  not  unmindful  of  the  poisonous  gaze  of 
Haman,  who  stood  beside  the  dais,  and  of  the  others,  many 
of  whom  by  this  time  knew  her  ill-guarded  secret,  spoke 
with  a  right  queenly  dignity. 

"If  it  seem  good  to  the  king,"  she  said,  in  her  beautiful 
voice,  and  in  the  high  Persian  which  she  spoke  with  exquisite 
perfection,  "  let  the  King's  Majesty  and  Haman,  the  coun 
selor  of  the  king,  come  this  day  unto  the  banquet  that  I 
have  prepared  in  my  house." 

The  request  was  exceeding  strange,  inasmuch  as  it  was 
not  according  to  custom  or  precedent  for  any  queen,  with 
the  single  exception  of  the  all-powerful  queen  mother,  to 
entertain  the  king.  As  for  Haman,  his  broad  face  became 
scarlet  with  surprise.  To  be  invited  by  the  queen,  in  person, 
to  eat  and  drink  in  the  sacredly  private  royal  house  with  the 
king — this  transcended  all  former  honors  meted  out  to  him. 
He  gazed  with  round  eyes  of  animal  curiosity  at  his  royal 
master,  who  in  his  turn  was  looking  searchingly,  albeit  with 
great  gentleness,  into  the  pleading  face  his  queen  uplifted 
to  his. 

Something  in  her  deep  eyes  begged  him  to  assent  with 
out  question ;  to  wait  for  the  unsealing  of  the  mystery.  And 
anxious  to  make  amends,  he  repulsed  the  ready  question  that 
leaped  to  his  lips. 

'  'Tis  no  boon  you  ask  of  me,  Queen  of  Persia  and 
Media," — and  this  he  said  deliberately  for  the  ears  of  those 
who  stood  by — "  but  a  boon  conferred.  Right  glad  am  I 
to  accept  your  proffered  hospitality.  As  for  Haman,  he  shall 
speak  for  himself." 

But  the  great  minister,  usually  so  profuse  with  speech 
and  compliment,  seemed  stricken  dumb  in  the  presence  of  the 
woman  whose  life  he  had  successfully  plotted  against. 

The  king  eyed  his  chief  adviser  curiously,  the  while  he 
still  held  the  beautiful,  fair  hand  of  the  queen  in  his. 

"  How  is  this?  "  asked  the  king  sharply,  "  that  you  mouth 
225 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


and  mumble  your  words  like  a  stupid  boy?  But  perchance 
you  are  overcome  by  the  honor.  See  that  you  present  your 
self  in  due  season  at  this  banquet  which  the  queen  has  caused 
to  be  prepared  for  us  two  this  day." 

Then  he  conducted  his  queen  quite  to  the  outer  terrace, 
where  he  gave  her  into  the  hands  of  her  half-fainting  and 
terrified  maids.  And  he  smiled  kindly  upon  them,  suppos 
ing  that  he  knew  all  the  reason  for  their  pallor  and  the  red 
ness  of  their  eyes. 

"  The  swords  of  my  executioners,"  quoth  the  king,  "  are 
not  for  lovely  women,  but  for  such  as  would  render  their 
lives  and  honor  insecure." 

And  this  saying  of  the  king's,  and  the  pressure  of  his 
great  hand  comforted  and  sustained  Esther,  so  that  she 
walked  bravely  with  her  maids  under  the  myriad  eyes  which 
stared,  and  within  sound  of  the  buzzing  whispers  which  fol 
lowed  her  quite  to  her  own  door. 

And  yet  she  had  failed  utterly  in  what  she  had  set  out 
to  do. 

Mordecai  had  bidden  her  make  supplication  for  her  life 
and  the  lives  of  her  people  before  the  king.  And  the  king 
had  received  her  graciously  and  granted  her  the  boon  un 
asked.  Why  had  she  not  flung  herself  at  his  feet  and  told 
him  all? 

She  could  not  have  answered  the  question,  and,  woman 
like,  she  was  glad  that  Mordecai  could  not  ask  it. 

"  I  will  tell  the  king  all  to-day,  and  beg  of  his  clemency 
my  life  and  the  lives  of  my  people,"  she  told  herself  with 
a  sob.  Then  she  thought  of  the  man  Haman,  who  had  bought 
her. and  her  nation  with  a  price,  and  hot  anger  waked  up 
within  her,  that  righteous  indignation  which  acts  upon  the 
blood  like  a  cordial,  and  wakens  all  the  courage  and  strength 
of  purpose  of  the  soul. 

The  banquet  which  Queen  Esther  caused  to  be  served 
in  her  house  that  day  was  a  memorable  one.  And  the  queen 

226 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


herself,  clad  in  white  and  pale  violet,  with  great  clusters  of 
the  royally  humble  flowers  at  her  breast  and  in  her  hair, 
played  the  hostess  with  a  grace  and  propriety  which  amazed 
the  king.  If  he  had  ever  thought  of  his  young  wife  in  the 
light  of  an  exquisite  but  artificial  product  of  Hege's  culture 
he  knew  himself  to  be  mistaken.  She  had  not  been  wholly 
unused  to  the  society  of  clever  and  cultivated  men  in  the 
humble  house  of  Mordecai ;  and  the  modest  yet  brilliant  wit 
of  her  replies,  and  the  perfect  poise  of  her  stately  young 
person  filled  Xerxes  with  pride.  He  was  glad,  too,  that 
Haman  could  see  her  thus.  The  great  counselor  must 
henceforth  recognize  his  royal  mistress  as  being  more  than  a 
mere  figurehead  demanded  by  the  policy  of  state  and  the 
precedent  of  kings.  She  was  a  regally  beautiful  and  intelli 
gent  woman,  and  the  king  openly  gloried  in  her.  But  what 
was  the  request  hid  beneath  this  brilliant  show  of  hospitality? 
A  change  of  residence,  perhaps;  more  liberty  in  choosing  her 
attendants;  perchance,  something  more  important,  more  fate 
ful  still.  The  king  studied  her  brilliant  face  quietly  in  the 
intervals  between  the  courses  of  the  viands.  When  at  last 
the  sweets  and  wines  were  set  forth,  and  the  attentive  slaves 
had  retreated  to  a  little  distance,  and  the  harpists,  hid  be 
hind  a  screen  of  rare  blossoming  plants  played  softly,  he  .bent 
forward  and  spoke  to  his  queen. 

"  Tell  me,"  he  said,  "  what  is  it  that  you  would  ask  of 
me,  for  I  know  that  you  have  not  told  me  all  that  is  in  your 
heart,  my  Esther.  If  you  will  not  tell  me,  how  shall  I  grant 
it?  I  can  only  repeat  what  I  have  already  said — anything, 
to  the  half  of  my  kingdom,  which  lieth  within  my  power  to 
give,  is  yours." 

And  again  Esther's  courage  failed  her,  as  she  remem 
bered  the  terrible  law  of  the  Medes  and  Persians  which  it 
was  not  in  the  king's  power  to  change  or  alter.  He  loved 
her;  she  was  once  more  sure  of  it;  every  glance  of  his  blue 
eyes,  every  tender  smile  of  admiration  spoke  eloquently  of 

227 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


his  affection.  And  how  would  he  stiffen  with  sick  horror 
when  told  that  he  had  been  tricked  into  selling  her  life  with 
the  lives  of  thousands  of  his  faithful  subjects.  And  would 
he  not  reproach  her  bitterly  for  having  withheld  the  words, 
few  and  simple,  which  might  have  saved  them  both? 

"  I — ,"  she  faltered,  and  all  the  sweet  color  ebbed  from 
her  cheeks  and  lips,  leaving  her  marble  pale,  like  a  lovely, 
piteous  statue  of  grief.  "  I  would  that  the  king  and — Ha- 
man — if  I  have  found  favor  in  the  king's  eyes — will  come 
to-morrow  to  the  banquet  which  I  will  set  forth;  and  to 
morrow  I — will  do  as  the  king  has  said." 

And  with  this  the  king  was  forced  to  be  content,  though 
he  thought  he  had  guessed  what  it  was  she  feared  to  tell 
him,  and  he  smiled  upon  her  with  eyes  full  of  adoration. 

"  To-morrow,  also,  I  will  break  bread  with  you,  queen 
of  my  heart  and  of  my  kingdom,  and  to-morrow  you  shall 
tell  me  all  that  is  in  your  heart." 

He  meaningly  excluded  his  privy  counselor,  for  he  did 
not  desire  his  company.  But  the  queen  astonished  him  be 
yond  measure  by  her  look  and  tone  as  she  made  answer, 
bowing  low  before  him. 

"  I  thank  the  king  for  his  gracious  favor,  and  let  it  not 
be  forgotten  that  Haman  also  must  be  present." 

These  words  of  the  queen's  placed  the  capstone  on  the 
lofty  pinnacle  of  self-esteem  upon  which  Haman  balanced 
himself  with  unsteady  feet.  He  had  drunken  more  of  the 
queen's  wine  than  was  good  for  a  discreet  man,  and  had 
reached  the  point  where  he  talked  fast  and  loud,  praising 
the  queen's  beauty  to  her  face,  and  boasting  of  his  own  taste 
in  women,  and  of  his  exceeding  wealth  and  grandeur  and 
the  splendor  of  his  house.  He  was  on  the  point  of  inviting 
the  king  and  queen  to  a  banquet  in  his  own  garden  pavilion, 
which  he  declared  was  built  in  the  pure  Grecian  style  and 
boasted  examples  of  the  finest  sculptures  brought  from 
Athens  at  the  time  of  its  demolition,  when  Esther  arose,  and 

228 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


with  a  gesture   full  of  dignity  commanded  the  counselor's 
outer  garments  to  be  fetched. 

"  To-morrow,"  she  said  coldly,  "  at  the  same  hour,  I 
trust  that  you  will  honor  me  with  your  presence." 

And  Haman  went  forth,  flushed,  magnificent,  filled  with 
arrogant  pride;  before  him  ran  pages;  behind  him  walked 
a  score  of  men-at-arms  and  half  a  score  of  lackeys,  all  gay 
in  scarlet  and  gold.  A  great  man,  a  successful  man;  every 
head  bowed  before  him;  and  so  he  came  to  the  King's  Gate 
and  passed  through  it,  though  it  was  not  the  straightest  way 
to  his  own  house.  He  had  been  told  that  Matacas,  the  Jew, 
had  given  over  his  public  mourning,  and  once  more  sat  at  his 
post  of  office  which  had  not  as  yet  been  given  to  another. 
Would  the  Jew  cringe  in  his  presence  like  a  whipped  cur? 
Would  he  crawl,  and  cry,  and  beg  for  mercy  at  the  hands 
of  Haman,  the  magnificent? 

The  keeper  of  the  royal  seal  did  not  even  raise  his  hollow 
eyes  from  his  work  at  the  approach  of  the  gay  retinue,  and 
Haman,  unable  to  contain  his  rage,  shouted  to  him  in 
drunken  fury: 

"  Ha,  Jew !  get  you  back  to  your  ashheap  and  sackcloth ! 
And  if  ashes  have  failed  you,  I  will  even  command  my  serv 
ants  to  cast  forth  the  refuse  from  my  kitchens  that  you  may 
grovel  therein,  as  you  did  yesterday." 

The  Hebrew,  who  was  inscribing  a  scroll  of  parchment 
with  many  fine  square  characters  of  the  cuneiform  writing, 
did  not  raise  his  eyes  at  this  insulting  diatribe.  He  pro 
ceeded,  instead,  to  close  and  deliberately  seal  the  document 
with  his  usual  precise  care,  impressing  upon  the  purple  wax 
the  image  of  the  King's  Majesty  doing  battle  with  a  lion. 

"  Do  you  hear  me,  dog-faced  swine  of  a  Jew,  condemned 
to  death  by  torture  ?  "  hissed  the  counselor,  "  or  are  your 
ears  stuffed  with  ashes,  and  deafened  with  the  useless  wail 
ing  of  your  race?  Ha!  I  shall  soon  see  you  suffering  the 
torments  of  death,  and  I  shall  spit  upon  you !  " 

229 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


And  he  swept  on,  grinding  his  teeth  in  futile  anger  before 
the  lofty  dignity  of  the  man  who  continued  steadfast  in  his 
duty  in  the  face  of  certain  ruin  and  death. 

Arrived  at  his  own  house,  he  assembled  his  family  and 
certain  relatives  of  mean  station  and  little  fortune,  parasites 
and  hangers-on  to  be  found  in  every  great  house,  pensioners 
all  upon  its  lavish  hospitality;  and  ever  slavishly  ready  to 
chant  praises  and  laudations  like  the  chorus  of  a  Greek 
comedy.  To  this  company  the  great  Haman  discoursed  at 
length,  reviewing  wordily  his  marvelous  career  with  its  al 
most  unbelievable  good  fortune.  He  mentioned  in  due  or 
der  and  with  many  boastful  words  the  number  of  his  stal 
wart  sons,  the  beauty  and  high  station  of  Zarara  and  other 
lesser  consorts,  the  plethoric  condition  of  his  treasuries,  the 
vast  extent  of  his  vineyards  and  gardens,  the  myriads  of  his 
servants  and  slaves,  all  of  which,  he  declared,  had  been 
heaped  upon  him  because  of  his  distinguished  merits  and  his 
indispensable  services  to  the  king. 

"  Even  the  queen  is  not  insensible  to  my  greatness,  and  the 
wisdom  of  my  words,  and  the  comeliness  of  my  countenance," 
he  went  on,  "  for  to-day  she  made  a  banquet  for  the  king, 
and  invited  no  other  but  myself.  And  to-morrow  she  insists 
that  I  again  dine  with  her  and  the  king.  Yet  all  this  pleases 
me  not,  while  I  see  daily  that  despicable  Jew,  Matacas,  sit 
ting  in  the  King's  Gate." 

"  Not  long  will  Haman,  the  magnificent,  be  troubled  by 
the  sight  of  his  enemy,"  said  one  of  the  sycophants,  who  had, 
to  a  man,  listened  with  the  flattering  attention  of  those  who 
by  so  doing  earn  good  food  and  soft  beds  and  showy  raiment. 
"  In  less  than  a  twelvemonth  the  Jew,  Matacas,  must  needs 
perish  with  the  rest  of  his  scurvy  race." 

'  'Tis  too  long  a  life  for  so  vile  a  malefactor,"  muttered 
Haman ;  "  and  the  man  may  give  me  the  slip  at  the  last. 
He  is  capable  of  sheltering  himself  even  under  the  king's 
throne — the  dog!  " 

230 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


Zarara,  who  had  listened  alike  to  the  fulminations  and 
self-gratulations  of  her  lord  with  the  tolerant  smile  of  a 
petted  wife,  laid  her  jeweled  hand  upon  his  arm. 

"  Why  does  my  lord  longer  permit  this  one  drop  of  bit 
terness  to  spoil  the  cup  of  his  pleasures?"  she  murmured. 
"  If  Hainan  be  thus  powerful  to  mold  the  royal  will,  let 
him  ask  of  the  king  the  life  of  the  man  who  daily  doeth  him 
despite,  and  let  this  despicable  Jew  be  the  first  victim  of 
that  holocaust  of  death  which  will  shortly  swallow  his  race." 

"  Ay,  your  counsel  is  ever  good,  my  Zarara.  You  and 
no  other  shall  also  tell  me  how  to  kill  the  Jew,  so  that  all 
the  world  may  know  what  it  means  to  a  man  to  offend 
Haman." 

The  men  and  women  who  fed  daily  of  his  bounty  shud 
dered  as  they  heard  these  ominous  words,  and  felt  the  dire 
glance  of  those  rolling  eyes;  but  they  smiled  as  best  they 
might  with  stiffened  lips,  and  murmured  a  weak  applause. 

Zarara  sneered  at  them  openly,  for  she  tolerated  their 
presence  in  her  house,  as  a  woman  must  tolerate  many  things 
which  she  hates.  And  she  looked  boldly  into  the  flushed  and 
swollen  face  of  her  lord,  whom  she  also  secretly  despised  as 
a  rash  fool  and  braggart. 

"  Let  my  lord  elevate  the  Jew  to  a  position  in  the  world, 
where  all  must  look  up  to  him,"  she  said  softly,  and  showed 
her  even  teeth  in  a  sly  smile. 

"Elevate  the  Jew!  What  mean  you,  woman?"  roared 
Haman,  ready  on  the  instant  to  fall  into  a  foaming  rage. 

Zarara  laughed  outright. 

"  It  pleases  my  lord  to  affect  the  wit  of  the  witless  to 
day,"  she  said.  "  A  man  may  be  elevated  upon  a  gibbet,  so 
that  all  who  pass  by  are  forced  to  look  up  to  him." 

"  Ha,  ha!  Good,  very  good!  I  catch  the  wit  and  wis 
dom  of  your  suggestion,  my  peerless  Zarara.  Let  such  a  gib 
bet  be  made  forthwith.  Let  us,  by  all  means,  elevate  the 
Jew!  Ha,  ha!  Let  us  lift  him  on  high  so  that  all  the  world 

231 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


will  be  forced  to  recognize  his  station.  Good — excellent! 
Go  forth,  Prexaspes,  and  gather  workmen  on  the  instant. 
Let  me  hear  the  sound  of  the  hammers  within  the  hour. 
And  hold,  Prexaspes,  that  we  may  properly  elevate  this  Jew 
— ha-ha! — let  the  gallows  be  builded  fifty  cubits  high,  not  a 
cubit  less!  All  Shushan  shall  see  it;  the  world  shall  hear 
of  it — a  gallows-tree  fifty  cubits  high!  Ha!  what  a  tree 
of  death!  How  will  the  birds  of  prey  circle  about  its  loath 
some  carrion!  How  will  the  populace  gape  and  shudder  at 
its  foot!  How  will  the  Queen  of  Persia  and  Media  hang 
that  proud  head  of  hers  in  shame  before  it!  Go,  Prexaspes, 
and  let  there  be  instant  despatch,  for  to-morrow  my  lofty 
tree  must  bear  fruitage !  " 

But  the  lady  Zarara  had  grown  pale  and  ever  more 
bloodless  as  this  wild  harangue  sounded  in  her  ears.  She 
stood  up  and  stretched  out  her  hands  imploringly. 

"Stay,  Prexaspes!"  she  ordered  sharply.  "I  did  but 
jest,  my  lord.  I  did  not  mean  it.  You  cannot  do  this  thing ! 
You  shall  not !  Listen,  I  entreat  you.  If  the  Jew,  Matacas, 
is  of  kin  to  the  queen,  do  you  not  see  that  the  king  will  not 
suffer  him  to  be  harmed  ?  Stay,  you  must  listen !  " 

"  Nay ;  the  word  has  been  spoken,  woman.  And  the 
word  of  Haman  is  like  unto  the  word  of  the  king  himself; 
it  cannot  be  eaten;  it  cannot  be  lightly  set  aside.  Nay,  my 
Zarara,  you  cannot  hold  me  back  from  my  destiny  now. 
The  gods  have  singled  me  out  for  lofty  distinction.  /  may 
yet  sit  upon  the  throne — who  shall  say  that  I  may  not? 
Even  now  I  near  the  zenith  of  my  glory!  Go,  Prexaspes, 
and  fail  not  to  execute  all  my  commands." 

"  '  Whom  the  gods  would  destroy,  they  first  make  mad,'  " 
murmured  Zarara,  and  bowed  her  head  to  the  God-decreed 
event,  whose  chill  shadow  she  seemed  to  feel  approaching 
with  the  fateful  morrow. 


XXVI 

ATHAN,  Prince  of  Edom,  had  been  absent 
from  the  imperial  capital  for  nearly  a  year 
when  news  of  the  edict  of  the  king  concern 
ing  the  Hebrew  race  came  to  him  in  distant 
Greece,  where  Mardonius  and  Artabazus, 
with  a  picked  army  of  three  hundred  thou 
sand  men,  were  endeavoring  as  best  they  might  to  retrieve 
the  cowardly  flight  of  Xerxes  and  the  subsequent  demoral 
ization  of  the  Persian  arms. 

Athens  had  now  been  occupied  a  second  time,  and  the 
Athenians,  failing  to  receive  the  promised  support  from 
Sparta,  were  on  the  point  of  accepting  the  terms  Mardonius 
offered  in  behalf  of  Xerxes.  Attica,  it  was  stipulated,  with 
the  other  states  of  northern  Greece,  most  of  which  were  thor 
oughly  cowed,  must  be  bound  up  under  a  single  government 
and  become  in  effect  a  satrapy  of  Persia. 

It  was  thought  that  nothing  could  prevent  the  success 
of  this  policy,  when  unexpectedly  a  death  and  a  succession 
changed  the  whole  aspect  of  affairs.  Cleombratus,  the  re- 

233 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


gent  for  the  young  son  of  Leonidas,  died,  and  the  ambitious 
and  patriotic  Pausanius  became  regent  in  his  stead.  He  at 
once,  by  means  known  only  to  his  confidential  advisers,  se 
cured  the  wavering  allegiance  of  Sparta;  and  in  an  incred 
ibly  short  time  Mardonius  was  informed  of  an  aggressive 
army  of  nearly  a  hundred  thousand  Greeks  on  the  march  to 
ward  Boeotia,  to  which  he  had  prudently — or  imprudently — 
retired  upon  the  succession  of  Pausanius. 

At  this  critical  juncture  of  affairs  the  Persian  general 
sent  for  Nathan,  and  in  a  few  cogent  words  laid  the  situation 
before  him.  "  We  are  here,"  he  said  to  the  Hebrew  prince, 
"  in  the  midst  of  a  hostile  country,  far  from  a  dependable 
source  of  supplies,  and  with  ranks  depleted  by  constant  de 
sertions  and  divers  sicknesses  incident  to  long  campaigns. 
We  must  shortly  engage  this  new  army  of  the  Greeks  upon 
their  own  territory,  and  Ahura-Mazda  alone  knows  what 
the  event  will  prove.  I  shall  do  what  I  may;  yet  I  am  but 
mortal,  and  my  breast  not  less  vulnerable  than  the  meanest 
of  my  soldiers.  If  I  am  killed — and  I  cannot  rid  myself 
of  the  haunting  conviction  that  I  shall  never  again  look  upon 
the  face  of  my  wife,  nor  hold  my  children  in  my  arms — 
Artabazus  alone  will  be  left.  He  cannot  hold  my  army  to 
gether,  and  I  see  a  great  carnage.  There  is  no  fleet,  no  re 
source." 

The  great  general  stopped  short  under  the  flaring  torches, 
his  pallid  face  and  wild,  haggard  eyes  showing  clearly  in  the 
wavering  light. 

Nathan  knew  well  that  Mardonius  had  spared  himself 
in  nothing,  that  he  had  spent  long  hours  in  study  of  his  maps 
and  maneuvers,  while  others  carelessly  amused  themselves 
around  their  camp-fires,  or  slept  under  the  scant  shelter  of 
their  dew-rotted  tents. 

He  knew,  also,  that  what  his  general  had  said  was  true, 
with  the  added  fact  that  while  the  Persians  stood  for  a  cause 
abandoned  by  their  king,  the  Greeks  fought  for  their  very 

234 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


national  life,  their  wives,  their  children,  and  their  homes. 
It  was  to  be  an  unequal  conflict,  and  the  issue  could  hardly 
be  doubtful. 

He  bowed  his  head  mutely  before  his  superior  officer,  his 
heart  full  of  a  bitterness  and  despair  which  he  made  no 
effort  to  conceal. 

Mardonius  surveyed  his  aide  keenly,  bethinking  him  of 
an  unheeded  rumor  pertaining  to  some  new  edict  of  the 
king's,  which  might,  nevertheless,  seriously  affect  a  large 
portion  of  his  army. 

"  What  is  this  I  hear  concerning  the  edict  against  the 
Hebrews?"  he  asked.  "The  writing  was  posted  according 
to  the  orders  of  the  king;  but  I  confess  that  my  mind  has 
been  upon  other  matters.  It  just  occurs  to  me  that  you  are 
of  that  race." 

"  The  edict  commands  the  complete  annihilation  of  our 
nation  in  a  day,"  Nathan  informed  him  without  waste  of 
words;  "that  day  to  occur  within  the  twelvemonth." 

"  But  what  is  the  cause  of  this — this  fresh  blunder  on 
the  part  of  Xerxes — for  I  must  needs  call  it  so,  when  many 
of  our  most  intrepid  soldiers  are  Jews?  " 

Nathan  shook  his  head. 

"  I  cannot  tell,"  he  groaned.  "  And  the  sword  will  do 
bloody  work  in  the  palace  itself.  There  be  those  in  high 
places  who  must  perish  with  the  rest." 

Mardonius  was  silent  for  a  space;  then  he  struck  a  re 
sounding  blow  upon  his  burnished  shield,  which  hung  from 
the  central  support  of  his  tent. 

"  What  matters  it?  "  he  cried  harshly.  "  I  and  all  my 
thousands  may  be  slaughtered  like  sheep  and  lie  unburied  in 
the  wilderness,  our  bones  whitening  under  alien  suns ;  Xerxes 
will  still  drink  wine  in  his  palaces,  and  solace  himself  with 
his  wives  in  soft  dalliance.  Yet  the  sword  will  drink  deep 
of  his  heart  in  the  end.  This  I  know,  even  as  I  know  that 
I  am  to  die  alone  and  unwept.  Go,  Nathan,  to  this  silken 
16  235 


monarch  of  ours  and  tell  him  the  army  he  abandoned  is  in 
dire  peril;  that  he  must  at  once  send  men,  weapons,  supplies 
— all  things  needful,  or  Greece  is  lost  to  Persia;  and  with 
Greece  will  go  all  territory  on  the  farther  side  of  the  straits : 
Macedonia,  Paeonia,  and  Thrace  will  throw  off  the  yoke  of 
the  great  king;  then  let  him  beware  lest  Asia  follow.  I  .have 
spoken." 

That  night  Nathan  started  once  again  on  the  long,  peril 
ous  journey,  which  could  have  but  one  outcome,  he  thought, 
since  little  remained  to  cheer  him  in  the  land  of  his  birth. 
Yet  about  his  neck  he  still  wore  the  engraved  gem  given  to 
him  by  Amytis,  the  daughter  of  Xerxes.  And  at  night,  by 
lonely  camp-fires  in  rocky  wildernesses,  or  by  day  when  he 
rode  long  hours  in  silence,  followed  by  his  no  less  silent 
horsemen,  the  thought  of  the  charming  face  of  the  princess 
recurred  to  his  reveries,  where  he  found  the  loved  features  of 
Hadassah  becoming  ever  more  dim  and  shadowy. 

Scarcely  had  the  little  band  of  Persian  horsemen  set 
foot  on  the  farther  side  of  the  Hellespont,  when  news  of 
the  disastrous  battle  of  Platasa  overtook  them.  Mardonius 
had  been  slain,  read  these  despatches,  and  the  Persian  camp 
had  been  taken  with  terrible  carnage.  Artabazus  alone  with 
his  forty  thousand  men  had  escaped;  and  of  the  three  hun 
dred  thousand  troops  with  Mardonius,  all  had  scattered  in 
a  night  to  be  cut  down  everywhere  by  the  triumphant  Greeks. 

Thus  did  the  unseen  powers  which  rule  the  affairs  of 
kings,  armies,  and  individuals  write  in  great  letters  of  blood 
the  end  of  Persian  dominion  in  that  part  of  the  world. 

And  it  was  with  this  sinister  news  that  the  Jew,  Nathan, 
the  Prince  of  Edom,  so  called,  came  before  Xerxes  on  the 
day  in  which  he  had  banqueted  with  Esther,  his  queen. 

The  king  heard  all  in  silence;  then  he  dismissed  the  en 
voys  of  the  dead  Mardonius,  and  himself  retired  to  his  bed 
chamber,  where  he  presently  commanded  his  attendants  to 
leave  him  alone. 

236 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  I  will  sleep,"  he  said,  "  and  forget  all  that  troubles 
me." 

But  sleep  came  not  at  his  bidding;  instead  the  sounds  of 
battle  and  carnage  sounded  in  his  ears;  the  groans  of  the 
dying,  and  the  shouts  of  those  that  slew.  All  was  lost; 
Athens  would  once  more  defy  his  power  in  insolent  beauty; 
the  false  gods  of  the  pagans  would  again  rear  their  lofty 
temples  under  the  blue  skies  of  Greece.  Then  his  roving 
thoughts  centered  themselves  upon  his  queen,  and  upon  the 
dark-eyed  Hebrew  prince  who  once  had  loved  her.  He  re 
membered  the  words  of  his  edict  against  these  same  Hebrews, 
and  he  cursed  himself  amid  the  shadowy  curtains  of  his  great, 
golden  bed,  as  he  bethought  him  that  he  had  thus  condemned 
to  slaughter  many  thousands  of  brave  soldiers,  and  that  the 
needless  massacre  would  still  further  weaken  his  shattered 
army. 

Why  had  he  done  this  thing?  He  reviewed  once  more 
the  specious  arguments  of  Haman,  and  these  now  sounded 
weak  and  unconvincing  in  the  shadow  of  this  greater  disas 
ter  to  his  kingdom.  Why  slay  ten  thousand  men,  with 
women  and  children  uncounted?  Why  bring  down  a  myriad 
curses  upon  his  head,  which  appeared  even  now  to  be  ac 
cursed?  Suddenly  the  gloom  of  his  bedchamber  became 
strangely  alive  with  faces — white  faces,  wan,  agonized,  ap 
pealing;  some  convulsed  in  the  death  struggle;  others  fierce 
with  anger.  Their  eyes  pierced  his  closed  eyelids.  And  hor 
ror  of  horrors!  among  them  he  saw  the  face  of  his  queen — 
of  Esther,  all  color  gone  from  her  lips  and  cheeks,  her  eyes 
filled  with  piteous  reproaches  fixed  full  upon  him.  She  was 
about  to  ask  a  boon — a  boon ;  and  he  could  not  grant  it ! 

The  king  sprang  from  his  bed  with  a  great  oath,  his 
face  covered  with  the  cold  sweat  of  agony. 

"Bring  lights!"  he  shouted. 

And  when  once  more  the  golden  vine  of  Samos,  which 
hung  its  jeweled  clusters  above  his  bed,  shone  in  the  light 

237 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


of  the  silver  lamps,  and  the  sculptured  bowl  of  Theodorus 
stood  at  his  elbow  filled  with  refreshing  drink  of  honey  and 
lime  juice  mingled  with  snow,  the  king  ordered  the  scribes, 
who  waited  his  bidding  night  and  day,  to  bring  the  scrolls 
containing  the  annals  of  court  life.  These  consisted  mainly 
of  accounts  of  the  arrivals  and  departures  of  great  princes  and 
their  retinues;  and  of  matters  pertaining  to  the  fitting  out  of 
commissions  appointed  to  visit  the  various  provinces,  and 
of  the  reports  of  these  commissions.  There  were  also  full 
accounts  of  the  frequent  wars  and  revolts;  and  lighter  rec 
ords  of  hunting  parties,  with  the  full  tally  of  the  animals 
killed — all  set  forth  with  much  fulsome  flattery  interspersed 
in  each  chronicle  concerning  the  Great  King,  the  King  of 
kings,  the  Ruler  of  peoples  afar  off,  who  was  by  the  light 
of  his  imperial  person  nearly  related  to  Ahura-Mazda  and 
all  other  divinities,  whose  existence  was  thus  vaguely  ac 
knowledged  by  the  court  chroniclers. 

More  than  once  had  the  king's  sleepless  hours  been 
whiled  away  in  the  hearing  of  these  records,  which  were 
kept  sacredly  closed  in  a  great  chest  of  sandalwood,  covered 
with  plates  of  gold  and  enriched  with  precious  stones;  with 
the  result  that  in  the  end  the  royal  listener  had  been  lulled 
soundly  to  sleep  by  the  monotonous  reading  of  the  scribes, 
who  held  themselves  ever  ready  to  drop  their  voices  to  a 
drowsy  murmur,  when  once  the  eyelids  of  the  divine  one 
began  to  droop. 

On  this  occasion  the  scribe  who  had  been  chosen  for  the 
honorable  post  of  reader  to  the  King's  Majesty  caused  many 
rolled  parchments  to  be  fetched  into  the  royal  bedchamber; 
then  he  bowed  himself  before  the  monarch,  who  scowled 
blackly  at  the  winking  clusters  above  his  head,  as  though 
he  feared  a  reappearance  of  the  haunting  faces  of  his  slain 
army. 

"  Will  it  please  the  king  that  I  read  to  him  of  the  ex 
cellent  glory  of  his  Greek  campaign ;  and  of  the  great  bridge, 

238 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


the  chief  wonder  of  the  universe,  which  the  lord  of  the 
whole  earth  caused  to  be  built  across  the  Hellespont?"  in 
quired  this  functionary  gravely. 

But  Xerxes  flung  out  a  hasty  gesture  of  denial. 

"  I  will  hear  of  no  wars  to-night,"  he  said.  "  And  it 
must  be  also  written  that  the  bridge  was  swept  away  with 
the  army.  I  would  not  that  my  son  should  hear  such  writ 
ings  after  I  am  laid  in  the  tomb  already  waiting  for  me 
beside  my  father,  Darius;  but  there  shall  be  no  lying  records 
of  my  reign.  What  have  you  there?  " 

"Let  the  King  of  kings  live  forever!"  exclaimed  the 
scribe,  who  chanced  to  be  a  Median.  "  I  have  here  many 
records  of  the  excellent  kingdom  of  the  Achsemenidae,  relat 
ing  to  the  rise  of  Cyrus,  who  became  conqueror  of  the  whole 
world  under  the  guidance  of  Auramazda,  and  also  of  his 
sons  Cambyses  and  Smerdis,  and  the  strange  story  of  the 
fals?  Smerdis,  the  Magian,  who  usurped  the  throne,  and  was 
himself  slain  by  Darius,  the  son  of  Hystaspes,  who  was  the 
father  of  Xerxes,  the  divine  one." 

"  Ay,  read  of  Darius,  my  father,"  commanded  the  king. 
"  Perchance  his  spirit  may  communicate  with  mine,  and  shed 
some  light  upon  this  dim  page  of  my  life." 

So  the  scribe  read  from  a  certain  parchment,  bound  with 
purple  bands  and  clasped  with  a  great  turquoise  set  in  the 
red  gold  of  Egypt: 

"  And  it  came  to  pass  after  Darius,  the  king,  came  to 
the  city,  carrying  with  him  the  head  of  the  false  Smerdis 
in  a  sack  of  goatskin,  that  he  came  to  the  palace,  where  was 
the  vacant  throne.  And  as  he  walked  through  the  rooms 
of  the  royal  house  his  body  shone  with  the  divine  light,  so 
that  all  they  that  looked  knew  beyond  peradventure  that  he 
was  the  true  and  rightful  king.  And  he  sat  him  down  upon 
the  throne  and  commanded  that  the  head  of  the  pretender 
who  had  falsely  seized  the  throne  and  the  wives  of  Cambyses, 
the  son  of  Cyrus,  should  be  set  upon  a  pole,  and  that  the 

239 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


pole  should  be  fastened  to  the  battlements  of  the  king's 
gate.  And  when  this  was  done  he  commanded  the  wife  of 
the  false  Smerdis,  who  had  also  been  the  wife  of  Cambyses, 
to  be  fetched. 

"  And  presently  the  Queen  Atossa  was  brought  before 
him.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Cyrus,  and  very  beautiful, 
being  then  in  the  full  flower  of  her  youth,  though  she  had 
been  twice  married  unwillingly — once  to  her  own  father's 
son,  again  to  the  Magian  who  represented  himself  to  b, 
Smerdis,  the  brother  of  Cambyses. 

'Tell -me,'  said  Darius,  'did  you  not  know  that  the 
man  whose  head  is  now  set  upon  the  king's  gate  was  not 
Smerdis,  the  son  of  Cyrus  ?  ' 

"  And  the  queen  answered  him :  '  I  knew  indeed  and 
right  well  that  the  man  who  pretended  to  be  the  younger 
son  of  Cyrus  was  not  Smerdis,  my  brother.  How  could 
it  be  otherwise?  But  he  caused  me  to  be  made  a  strait 
prisoner  in  the  royal  house,  and  I  could  do  nothing,  being 
a  woman.  But  I  am  glad  that  you  have  slain  him,  and  that 
you  are  king.' 

"  Darius  looked  steadfastly  upon  the  daughter  of  Cyrus, 
and  when  he  saw  that  she  was  of  a  queenly  bearing,  and  that 
her  hair  was  yellow,  like  ripe  wheat,  and  that  she  returned 
his  look  with  a  gaze  of  blue  fire,  he  arose,  and  took  her  by 
the  hand. 

"  '  As  yet,'  he  said,  '  you  have  been  no  true  wife  nor 
queen ;  but  I  will  make  you  both.'  And  with  that,  he  lifted 
the  crown  from  his  own  head  and  set  it  upon  hers;  and  so 
Atossa  became  his  queen,  and  the  mother  of  his  son,  who  was 
called  Xerxes." 

The  voice  of  the  scribe  was  already  sinking  to  a  soothing 
murmur ;  but  the  king's  harsh  voice  roused  him  to  a  reali 
zation  of  the  fact  that  the  divine  one  was  not  yet  inclined 
for  sleep. 

"  Read  on,"  commanded   the  king,   "  and   let  not  sleep 
240 


"  '  'TWEIIE  MEET  THAT  i  SOMETIMES  LISTEN  TO  THESE  RECORDS,' 

MUTTERED    XERXES." 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


overpower  your  eyelids  till  it  has  visited  mine,  else  I  shall 
find  ways  to  keep  you  waking." 

At  this  dark  hint,  which  presaged  evil  unknown  yet  ter 
rible,  the  scribe's  voice  became  loud  and  full,  and  he  read 
from  many  scrolls  concerning  the  doings  of  Darius,  the 
father  of  Xerxes,  and  the  king  listened  attentively,  his  eyes 
wide  and  sleepless  as  the  fierce  eyes  of  the  lions  which 
haunted  the  distant  mountains  of  Lauristan. 

He  read  of  the  massacre  of  the  Magian  priests,  who  were 
slain  with  the  sword,  because  they  had  attempted  to  set 
one  of  their  number  upon  the  Persian  throne;  and  of  the 
subsequent  labors  of  Darius  in  rebuilding  the  temples  of 
Ahura-Mazda,  which  the  false  king  had  destroyed.  Under 
Darius,  and  with  his  assistance,  the  Jews  had  resumed  the 
building  of  their  sacred  temple  at  Jerusalem,  where  sacri 
fices  were  to  be  continually  made  and  prayers  offered  to  the 
God  of  Heaven  for  the  life  of  the  King  of  Persia  and  his 
sons.  "  For  such,"  read  the  chronicle,  "  is  the  bond  which 
unites  pure  Zoroastrianism  with  the  worship  of  Jehovah." 

"  Cease  to  read  of  Darius,"  ordered  Xerxes.  "  Turn 
now  to  the  records  of  my  own  reign,  and  search  out  and  read 
in  -my  hearing  all  that  has  to  do  with  the  Jews,  whom  my 
father  so  honored." 

And  the  scribe  read  of  the  Jews  in  many  scrolls;  how 
they  had  served  the  king  in  war  and  in  peace,  and  of  the 
revenues  which  they  brought  to  the  king's  treasuries,  of  the 
troops  levied  and  the  victories  won  by  them.  Mention  was 
made,  by  name,  of  Nathan,  Prince  of  Edom,  who  in  his  own 
person  led  a  company  of  Immortals  over  the  pass,  and  so 
defeated  the  Greeks  at  Thermopylae. 

There  was  also  a  brief  record  pertaining  to  Matacas, 
chief  of  the  palace  scribes;  and  to  this  the  king  listened  with 
clouded  brow. 

"  Now  there  was  a  certain  eunuch  in  the  service  of  the 
great  king  who  was  called  Teresh  (read  the  scribe),  and  this 

241 


THE   STAR    OF   LOVE 


man  conceived  in  his  heart  a  deadly  hatred  of  the  king's 
excellent  majesty,  so  that  he  thought  of  nothing  in  his  mad 
ness  but  how  he  might  destroy  the  sacred  life  of  the  divine 
one.  And  Teresh  spoke  also  to  another  of  his  fellow  serv 
ants,  who  was  called  Bigthana;  and  he  said,  '  Let  us  now  slay 
the  king,  and  so  shall  we  be  avenged  of  all  our  wrongs  that 
the  king  has  done  us;  and  we  will  also  lay  hands  upon  the 
golden  vine  of  Samos  which  is  in  the  king's  bedchamber, 
and  strip  from  it  all  the  jewels  which  form  its  clusters,  and 
these,  with  other  spoils,  will  we  take  from  the  dead  body  of 
Xerxes  and  flee  into  the  mountains,  and  from  thence  to  some 
distant  province  where  we  will  enjoy  the  fruits  of  the  king's 
vine  in  peace  and  affluence.'  And  it  came  to  pass  that  this 
base  and  murderous  talk  of  these  slaves  came  to  the  ears  of 
the  wise  Matacas,  the  Jew,  who  is  also  the  keeper  of  the 
royal  seal;  and  he  reported  the  matter  to  the  king.  And 
Xerxes,  that  great  and  wise  monarch,  the  King  of  kings,  the 
Lord  of  many  peoples  afar  off,  caused  the  malefactors  to  be 
crucified  forthwith.  And  may  a  similar  evil  fate  overtake 
all  who  in  the  wickedness  of  their  hearts  shall  now  or  here 
after  plot  any  mischief  against  the  king's  Excellent 
Majesty !  " 

"  Hold !  "  commanded  the  king,  drooping  his  great  head 
forward,  that  it  rested  upon  his  breast. 

The  scribe's  droning  monotone  instantly  ceased. 

"  'Twere  meet  that  I  sometimes  listen  to  these  records," 
muttered  Xerxes,  "  lest  I  forget  my  indebtedness  to  those 
who  serve  me.  Tell  me  now  what  reward  of  gold,  estates, 
or  dignities,  was  given  to  Matacas  in  exchange  for  the  king's 
life?" 

The  scribe  searched  hastily  among  the  chronicles  that 
followed.  At  last  he  said: 

"  There  is  no  record,  my  lord  king,  of  any  reward  having 
been  granted  to  the  Jew." 

"  And  I  did  not  even  thank  him,"  said  the  king. 
242 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


It  was  at  that  instant,  while  the  scribes  and  the  cham 
berlains  trembled  in  foolish  terror  before  the  king's  frown 
ing  face,  that  a  sound  of  stir  and  bustle  in  the  anterooms 
without  was  heard. 

"Who  dares  thus  to  break  in  upon  my  hours  of  rest?" 
demanded  Xerxes,  looking  up  from  his  unhappy  reverie. 

And  the  chief  chamberlain,  with  a  face  full  of  astonish 
ment  and  doubt,  prostrated  himself  before  the  presence  and 
said  that  Haman,  the  counselor,  waited  without  and  de 
manded  audience  with  the  king  upon  a  matter  of  moment. 


XXVII 

ID  Haman  come  in,"  ordered  the  king. 
"  There  is  no  moment  certain  to  a  man 
save  the  one  which  flits  by  him  oft  unno 
ticed  and  unemployed.  I  will  seek  counsel 
of  my  minister,  who  is  ever  most  ready  to 
serve  me  with  words  of  wisdom." 
So  presently  Haman  entered  with  great  pomp  and  cir 
cumstance  of  eunuchs  clad  in  the  gold  and  scarlet  liveries 
of  his  house,  which  put  to  shame  the  sober  purple  and  white 
of  the  royal  equerries.  The  counselor  was  clothed  as  if 
for  a  banquet,  and  all  his  bulky  person  winked  with  many 
jewels  and  flashed  with  burnished  gold,  so  that  the  king 
was  forced  to  turn  aside  his  eyes,  wearied  by  reason  of  sleep 
lessness. 

"  Ah,  my  Haman !  You  glitter  like  a  newly  scoured 
pot,"  exclaimed  the  king,  by  way  of  greeting.  "  And  I  per 
ceive  there  is  no  more  sleep  in  those  ferret  eyes  of  yours  than 
in  my  own.  What  now  has  banished  kind  slumber  from  the 
pillow  of  the  wise  Haman?  " 

244 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


The  big  man  puffed  in  the  midst  of  his  curled  and  per 
fumed  beard — for  he  had  come  in  haste — and  bowed  low  as 
he  said  that  a  matter  of  grave  import  had  effectually  ban 
ished  from  him  the  desire  of  sleep. 

"  I  shall  rest  sweetly,"  he  prophesied  confidently,  "  when 
once  the  King's  Majesty  has  heard  my  matter  and  set  thereon 
the  seal  of  his  approval."  He  added  that  he  was  glad  that 
scribes  were  present,  since  a  warrant  would  be  required 
straightway. 

The  king  appeared  ill  pleased  with  this  saying. 
'  'Tis  a  matter  of  your  own  business,  then,  which  you  re 
quired  me  to  wake  from  sleep  to  sanction,"  he  said  sourly. 
"  I  am,  it  would  appear,  little  more  than  a  seal  in  the  hand 
of  my  chief  minister,  to  be  employed  when  the  need  arises, 
be  it  night  or  day." 

Haman  hastened  to  assure  his  royal  master,  with  many 
wearisome  repetitions  of  the  fulsome  phrases  most  in  vogue, 
that  he  had  first  taken  the  pains  to  ascertain  that  the  Excel 
lent  Majesty  of  the  king  was  not  sleeping,  as  was,  indeed, 
to  be  expected  and  hoped  at  that  hour  of  the  night.  And  it 
was  not  until  assured  by  the  officers  of  the  royal  bedcham 
ber  that  majesty  waked  that  he  had  ventured  to  request 
audience  on  a  matter  which  admitted  of  no  delay. 

"  Since  you  are  here,  my  Haman,  and  doubtless  filled 
with  wisdom  to  the  point  of  running  over,"  quoth  the  king, 
"  I  would  myself  profit  by  your  presence.  There  is  a  cer 
tain  matter  which  escaped  my  attention  at  the  time  it  oc 
curred,  but  which  I  must  now  make  good  without  further 
delay.  It  concerns  a  subject  of  mine  who  has  been  of  the 
greatest  possible  use  to  me." 

The  magnificent  figure  of  the  counselor  was  observed 
to  sparkle  and  flash  anew  as  he  bent  forward  the  better  to 
attend  the  words  of  the  king. 

"  It  will  be  difficult,"  pursued  Xerxes,  knitting  his  brows 
thoughtfully,  "  for  me  to  reward  this  man  as  I  would  like, 

245 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


for  his  services  to  me  and  my  kingdom  have  been  so  great 
that  they  cannot  be  paid  for  in  gold,  slaves,  or  estates.  Nev 
ertheless,  I  would  show  him  some  extraordinary  honor, 
something  which  will  set  him  apart  at  once  and  forever  from 
the  common  run  of  court  beneficiaries,  and  this  must  be  done 
in  the  sight  of  all  Shushan,  for  the  king's  honor,  like  the 
crown  itself,  is  something  to  be  worn  before  the  eyes  of 
the  nation." 

"  My  lord,  the  king,  is  ever  most  gracious  to  his  sub 
jects,"  purred  Haman,  his  coarse  mouth  smiling,  his  greedy 
eyes  rolling  with  anticipated  delight. 

"  The  man  of  whom  the  king  speaks  can  be  no  other  than 
myself,"  he  was  thinking,  and  swelled  with  pride  till  he 
resembled  one  of  the  great  bladders  of  wind  which  the  lads 
of  Persia  cast  from  hand  to  hand  and  buffeted  with  the  bat. 

Xerxes  observed  his  adviser  keenly,  the  scornful  saying 
of  his  daughter,  Amytis,  recurring  to  his  mind.  And  as  he 
looked,  the  man's  arrogant  thoughts  became  clear  and  plain 
to  him,  as  if  writ  upon  parchment ;  and  with  the  understand 
ing  arose  a  wave  of  royal  scorn  for  the  greedy  sycophant, 
who  waited  with  open  impatience  for  further  rewards  from 
his  royal  master. 

"  You  love  me,  do  you  not,  my  Haman  ?  "  inquired  the 
king  gravely,  "  and  you  are  ever  ready  to  do  my  bidding — 
is  it  not  so  ?  " 

Haman  dropped  upon  his  knees  in  the  fervor  of  his 
emotions,  as  he  assured  the  king  of  his  undying  fealty  and 
affection.  He  became  so  much  in  earnest  in  the  course  of 
his  protestations  that  actual  tears  stood  in  his  glistening  eyes, 
and  oozed  from  his  scant  lashes. 

"  May  I  ever  have  fresh  opportunity  to  display  before 
the  king's  Divine  Majesty  the  depth  of  my  devotion  to  his 
person,"  he  said,  mouthing  his  words  thickly  in  a  way  the 
king  was  beginning  to  observe  with  displeased  attention. 
"  If  I  have  served  the  Lord  of  the  world  acceptably  in  the 

246 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


past,  let  the  past  be  the  poor  earnest  of  what  I  would  per 
form  in  the  future,"  he  went  on.  "  I  am  the  slave  of 
Xerxes!  And  may  Ahura-Mazda  and  all  lesser  deities  bear 
witness  to  my  words  while  I  swear  it !  " 

He  held  up  both  fat,  jeweled  hands  after  the  manner  of 
a  Zoroastrian  priest,  and  the  king,  supported  upon  his  elbow, 
regarded  him  with  an  inscrutable  expression  of  countenance. 

"  You  may  now  arise,  my  Haman,"  said  the  king  blandly, 
after  listening  a  while  longer  to  the  somewhat  absurd  ex 
pressions  of  affection  to  which  his  bulky  minister  was  giv 
ing  blatant  utterance.  "  It  must  be  fatiguing  for  a  man  of 
your  weight  to  remain  overlong  in  the  attitude  of  subserv 
ience;  and  I  assure  you  that  you  have  satisfied  me  with  the 
number  and  zeal  of  your  protestations." 

Haman  got  heavily  to  his  feet ;  but  he  continued  to  gaze 
at  the  king  with  the  eager  yet  humble  suppliance  of  a  dog 
begging  a  bone. 

"  The  King's  Excellent  Majesty  was  speaking  of  a  man — 
a  subject,  whom  the  king  was  about  to  reward  with  some 
great  honor,"  he  suggested. 

"  I  was  indeed  speaking  of  such  a  person,"  observed 
Xerxes,  with  a  grave  smile.  "  And  it  is  of  this  matter  of 
his  reward  that  I  would  ask  of  you  counsel.  What  now 
shall  be  done  for  a  man  whom  the  king  would  delight  to 
honor?" 

And  Haman,  bethinking  himself  of  the  mountains  of 
gold  and  silver  in  his  treasuries,  and  of  the  houses  and  vine 
yards  and  slaves,  and  of  the  beautiful  women  without  num 
ber  already  in  his  possession,  rolled  his  greenish  eyes  upon 
the  king. 

"  There  is  a  custom,"  he  said,  "  long  in  use,  which  pro 
vides  for  death  by  torture  to  the  person  who  shall  carelessly 
presume  to  put  on  his  person  the  king's  purple,  or  to  sit  upon 
his  royal  charger,  or  to  touch  with  the  hand  of  familiarity 
the  king's  crown;  so  doth  royalty  hedge  itself  about  with 

247 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


cautious  observance.  Let  now  the  king  command  that  his 
richest  robes  of  state  be  fetched  and  put  on  the  man  whom 
he  would  honor  above  all  in  his  excellent  kingdom,  and  let 
the  king's  crown  be  set  upon  his  head,  and  let  the  man  ride 
upon  the  horse  whereon  no  man  save  the  King's  Majesty  has 
ever  yet  sat,  and  let  the  horse,  and  the  crown  royal,  and  the 
robes  of  state  be  given  to  the  hand  of  one  of  the  king's  most 
noble  princes,  and  command  that  with  his  own  hands  the 
prince  shall  array  the  man  in  the  king's  excellent  glory. 
Then  let  the  noble  prince — whom  the  king  shall  name — • 
bring  the  man  honored  of  the  king  through  the  streets  of  the 
city,  himself  leading  the  horse,  and  proclaim  before  him  in 
a  loud  voice  that  all  may  hear,  '  Thus  shall  it  be  done  to 
the  man  whom  the  king  delighteth  to  honor ! ' ' 

Xerxes  stared  at  Haman  yet  more  thoughtfully.  "  You 
have  chosen  a  great  honor  indeed  for  the  man  whom  I  have 
in  mind,"  he  said  at  last;  "an  honor  which  no  man  living 
has  ever  received  at  the  hand  of  any  Achaemenian  king. 
Be  you  sure  that  the  fame  of  the  man  thus  distinguished 
will  reach  to  the  uttermost  bounds  of  the  world.  Aye,  and 
nations  yet  unborn  will  hear  of  it  and  say,  '  To  no  other  man 
in  all  the  world  has  such  honor  been  paid.'  " 

'  'Tis  not  too  distinguished  a  favor  for  the  man  whom 
the  Great  King  delights  to  honor,"  quoth  Haman,  arrogantly. 
"  And  of  such  a  man  should  it  indeed  be  said  of  all  nations 
that  to  no  other  man  in  the  world  has  such  honor  been 
paid." 

"Say  you  so?"  exclaimed  the  king,  looking  curiously 
at  the  flushed  face  and  shining  eyes  of  his  privy  counselor. 
"  And  what  of  the  noble  prince  who  shall  be  required  to 
go  on  foot  through  the  streets  of  the  city,  proclaiming  the 
words  you  have  stipulated?  Thifik  you  not  he  will  resent 
the  office?" 

"  Nay,  my  Lord  King,  the  noblest  prince  in  all  the  king's 
excellent  dominions  should  be  rejoiced  to  do  the  king's  bid- 

248 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


ding,  in  thus  honoring  the  man  of  the  king's  choosing,"  cried 
Haman,  waxing  ever  bolder  and  more  confident. 

"Ay;  doubtless  he  will  be  rejoiced  beyond  measure  to 
so  humble  himself,  more  especially  if  he  be  a  man  who  has 
bound  himself  by  an  oath  to  love  the  King's  Majesty  in 
honor  and  truth  and  serve  him  with  his  life." 

Xerxes  was  thoughtfully  silent  for  a  space;  then  he 
turned  to  the  scribes,  who  still  waited  in  the  royal  bed 
chamber,  not  having  received  the  word  of  dismissal. 

"  Write,"  said  the  king,  "  the  words  of  this  requisition." 
And  he  proceeded  to  name,  in  due  order,  the  robes  of  state, 
the  crown  royal,  the  king's  Arabian  charger,  with  full  trap 
pings  of  gold-mounted  saddle,  bridle,  and  housings.  Also 
he  mentioned  certain  officers  of  the  royal  house,  with  their 
equerries,  to  walk  behind,  and  the  royal  fan-bearer,  bearing 
the  great  fan  of  state,  to  avert  the  rays  of  the  midday  sun 
from  the  head  of  the  man  whom  the  king  delighted  to  honor. 

"  Is  all  of  this  as  you  would  have  it,  my  lord  ?  "  he  in 
quired  gravely  of  Haman. 

And  Haman  answered,  bowing  low  to  conceal  the  grow 
ing  delight  and  astonishment  in  his  eyes. 

"If  it  seem  good  to  the  king,  let  the  man  also  whom 
the  king  delights  to  honor  bear  the  royal  scepter,  and  let 
him,  for  one  hour's  time,  do  with  it  what  he  will,  in  extend 
ing  favor  to  his  friends,  and  meting  out  punishment  to  his 
enemies." 

"  For,"  thought  Haman,  "  so  will  I,  in  mine  own 
authority,  deal  out  death  and  torture  to  Mordecai  the  Jew, 
and  royal  favor  to  divers  others  who  will  be  of  use  to  me 
later." 

"  Let  it  be  so  written,"  said  the  king,  turning  sharply 
to  his  scribes.  "  And  now  set  down  the  name  of  the  man 
whom  the  king  delighteth  to  honor,  and  the  name  also  of 
the  king's  servant  who  will  rejoice  in  assisting  the  king  in 
the  bestowment  of  this  honor." 

249 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


And  the  scribes  waited,  their  brushes  filled  with  the  pur 
ple  ink  of  Sidon  poised  in  air. 

"  For  the  man  whom  the  king  would  thus  signally  honor, 
because  he  has  saved  the  king's  life  from  the  hands  of  guilty 
assassins,  write  Matacas,  who  is  also  called  Mordecai,"  said 
Xerxes,  slowly  and  without  glancing  at  Haman.  "  And 
for  the  prince  who  shall  lead  the  royal  charger,  and  pro 
claim  the  honor  in  the  exact  words  stipulated  by  my  wise 
and  prudent  counselor,  and  duly  written  and  set  forth,  write 
Haman,  the  Agagite,  son  of  Hammedetha." 

A  curious  sound,  which  was  neither  a  choking  cough 
nor  an  oath,  yet  sounded  strangely  like  both,  drew  the 
king's  eye  to  Haman,  who  was  staring  with  bulging  eyes 
at  the  writing  in  which  was  already  set  down  in  legible  char 
acters  the  names  spoken  by  the  king. 

"  You  will  be  greatly  rejoiced,  my  Haman,  to  perform 
the  service  for  the  man  whom  the  king  delighteth  to  honor," 
quoth  the  king;  "  have  you  not  already  assured  me  of  this?  " 

"  You  forget  that  the  man  is  a  dog  of  a  Hebrew,  a  vile 
Jew,  condemned  to  death !  "  snarled  the  Agagite,  forgetting 
all  propriety  of  speech  or  manner  in  his  blinding  rage. 

"  The  king  forgets  nothing,  son  of  Hammedetha ;  but  it 
would  appear  that  the  wise  and  prudent  Haman  has  for 
gotten  many  things.  Go;  the  hour  is  late,  and  I  would 
sleep  perchance,  if  left  to  myself.  And  to-morrow  see  that 
you  carry  out  the  words  of  this  writing;  let  nothing  of  it 
all  escape  you.  Go  to  the  house  of  Matacas,  and  do  in 
all  things  as  is  written  by  the  scribes.  I  shall  require  a 
report  of  the  procedure  from  the  master  of  the  king's  horse, 
who  will  himself  accompany  you." 


XXVIII 

ORDECAI,  the  king's  scribe  and  keeper  of 
the  royal  seal,  was  in  his  own  house,  the 
hour  being  sunrise.  He  had  gone  up  to  the 
roof,  after  the  manner  of  his  people;  and 
there,  his  face  set  toward  Jerusalem,  the 
distant  city,  where  even  then  the  smoke  of 
the  morning  sacrifice  ascended  to  Jehovah  in  purple  clouds 
of  incense,  he  knelt  upon  his  knees,  his  lips  repeating  the 
words  of  the  ancient  liturgy  appointed  to  all  faithful  de 
scendants  of  Abraham. 

Below  him  spread  the  shallow-domed  roofs  of  the  Per 
sian  houses,  built  one  and  all  of  clay  and  sun-dried  bricks 
of  yellowish  tint,  and  swelling  with  gentle  monotony  of  shape 
and  color  to  the  base  of  the  royal  platform  whereon  the 
palaces  stood,  transfigured  to  an  unearthly  beauty  in  the 
rosy  light  of  dawn.  The  heart  of  Mordecai  was  heavy,  for 
no  word  had  come  to  him  of  his  kinswoman,  the  young  queen, 
save  that  she  had  gone  to  the  king  and  had  been  graciously 
received  by  him.  It  was  reported  that  she  had  entertained 
17  251 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


at  a  banquet  the  King's  Majesty  and  Haman,  the  great  privy 
counselor,  whom  Mordecai  cursed  aloud  as  the  enemy  of 
his  people.  But  he  had  learned  nothing  of  the  result  of  the 
meeting  between  the  three,  though  he  had  waited  late  at 
his  post,  hoping  that  Esther  would  send  him  word.  At  the 
best,  he  had  little  hope  of  any  adequate  deliverance,  seeing 
that  the  unalterable  word  had  been  spoken,  against  which 
there  could  be  no  possible  repeal.  Certain  ones  might  be 
guarded  against  the  general  massacre;  others  might  be  per 
mitted  to  fly  to  some  distant  city  of  refuge,  or  conceal  them 
selves  in  their  houses  till  the  dreadful  day  was  past;  yet 
their  homes  and  their  goods  would  be  forfeit  to  the  crown 
under  the  terrible  edict  of  the  king. 

Hopelessly  he  prayed,  therefore,  his  tongue  falling  through 
long  habit  into  the  phraseology  of  the  royal  David,  who  had 
been  wont  to  address  Jehovah  in  the  merciless  language  of  an 
Eastern  warrior.  "  Consume  the  enemies  of  thy  people,  O 
Lord,  our  shield!  Consume  them  in  the  fierceness  of  thy 
wrath  that  they  be  seen  no  more!  Let  them  know  that 
Jehovah  reigneth  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth.  At  evening  let 
them  return,  and  let  them  make  a  noise  like  a  dog,  and  go 
round  about  the  city.  But  I  will  wait  upon  thee,  O  God,  for 
thou  art  my  defence  against  the  violent  and  wicked  man.  For 
lo !  mine  enemy  hath  digged  a  pit  before  me ;  he  hath  spread  a 
net  for  my  steps,  but  he  shall  himself  fall  into  the  midst 
of  it  and  perish  miserably!  O  Lord,  my  soul  is  among  lions, 
deliver  thou  me  up  for  thy  name's  sake!  Let  death  and  de 
struction  wait  upon  all  them  that  devise  mischief  against  thy 
people,  and  let  them  go  down  quickly  into  hell,  for  wicked 
ness  is  in  their  dwellings!  But  as  for  me,  I  will  call  upon 
God.  Evening  and  morning  and  at  noon  will  I  cry  aloud, 
and  my  God  shall  hear  my  voice.  Jehovah  shall  hear  me  and 
afflict  mine  enemies.  Thou,  O  God,  shall  bring  them  down 
into  the  pit  of  destruction;  the  bloody  and  deceitful  man 
shall  not  live  out  half  his  days ;  but  I  will  trust  in  thee !  " 

252 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


As  the  scribe's  deep,  melancholy  voice  rolled  out  over 
the  housetops  in  the  clear,  roseate  air  of  the  morning,  many 
who  dwelt  near  heard  it,  and  muttered  prayers  to  Ahura- 
Mazda  to  avert  the  just  curses  of  the  Hebrew;  for  the  in 
habitants  of  Shushan  were  greatly  perplexed  by  the  edict  of 
the  king.  Albeit  certain  violent  and  greedy  men  were  al 
ready  casting  lustful  eyes  upon  the  fat  properties  of  the 
peaceful  and  law-abiding  Jews  who  dwelt  among  them, 
upon  their  young  and  beautiful  women,  also,  whom  they 
thought  to  spare  in  secret  for  their  own  vile  purposes. 

And  so  Mordecai  continued  to  pray  aloud,  beating  upon 
his  breast  at  intervals,  and  casting  ashes  upon  his  hair  and 
beard  in  the  extremity  of  his  anguish.  And  as  he  prayed  he 
was  not  aware  of  the  sound  of  silver  trumpets  drawing 
ever  nearer,  and  of  the  stepping  of  many  feet,  and  the  excited 
shouts  of  children  and  men  and  women,  who  had  abandoned 
the  tasks  of  early  morning  to  run  and  gape  at  the  spectacle 
of  the  king's  great  counselor  borne  in  a  gilded  litter  by 
eight  Nubian  slaves,  and  followed  by  a  groom  leading  the 
king's  horse,  and  many  other  officials,  some  riding  upon 
horses,  others  on  foot.  And  at  these  some  wondered,  not 
knowing  wherefore  they  were  come  out;  others  laughed  and 
made  a  mock  of  Haman  riding  like  a  sick  woman  in  the 
great  gilded  litter,  and  hid  from  view  by  shielding  curtains 
of  crimson  'broidered  with  gold. 

Within  the  litter,  prone  upon  his  face,  Haman,  the  mag 
nificent,  cursed  and  wept  by  turns,  till  in  appearance  he  was 
like  a  madman.  And  so  they  came  at  last  into  the  narrow 
street  where  dwelt  Mordecai,  with  others  of  his  race,  in 
good  houses  of  stone  and  brick,  built  after  the  pattern  of  the 
houses  at  Jerusalem;  with  square  courtyards  walled  high 
from  the  street,  and  flat-topped  roofs  with  battlements, 
where  the  inhabitants  might  rest  at  morning  and  at  evening, 
and  look  away  toward  the  far  Temple,  which  Nehemiah, 
their  prophet  and  prince,  had  lately  completed  at  Jerusalem. 

253 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


And  the  street  was  filled  with  the  gay  procession  from 
end  to  end,  so  that  the  silver  trumpets  of  the  guard,  and  the 
clattering  of  horses,  and  the  speech  of  those  that  led  them, 
came  up  to  the  roof  whereon  stood  Mordecai,  clothed  in 
his  garment  of  harsh  sackcloth  and  with  ashes  upon  his  hair 
and  beard. 

"  Knock  upon  the  Jew's  door,"  commanded  Haman, 
giving  orders  from  his  litter,  "  and  if  the  swine  open  not 
to  us  on  the  instant,  I  will  straightway  report  to  the  king 
that  Matacas  will  not  receive  honor  at  the  hands  of  the 
King's  Majesty." 

The  servant  of  Haman,  also  an  Amalekite,  and  hence 
an  hereditary  enemy  of  the  Jews,  knocked  loudly  upon 
the  door,  and  there  was  no  answer;  because  Abihail,  who 
was  within,  feared  to  open,  thinking  her  hour  was  already 
come. 

"  Let  us  go ;  the  Jew  refuses  to  admit  us.  How  then 
shall  we  carry  out  the  commands  of  the  king?  Nay,  I  will 
not  tarry  longer  before  the  pen  of  this  swine,  for  I  am 
bidden  by  the  queen  to  a  banquet,  and  I  may  not  delay  to 
prepare  for  it." 

At  these  words  of  Haman,  Melzar,  master  of  the  king's 
horse,  stepped  forward.  "  The  great  Haman  refuses  to  do 
the  king's  bidding  at  his  peril,  and  at  the  imminent  peril  of 
us  all,"  said  he ;  "  for  of  this  I  have  full  assurance.  We 
shall  all  suffer  punishment  if  the  writing  be  not  carried  out 
to  its  smallest  letter.  We  shall  gain  admittance  presently, 
or  failing  in  this,  we  must  even  take  the  man  by  force;  for 
to-day  he  must  ride  upon  the  king's  beast,  wearing  the 
king's  purple." 

A  wicked  light  leaped  up  in  Haman's  eyes. 

"  If  the  Jew  be  slain  in  the  taking,  he  may  yet  ride 
upon  the  king's  horse,  for  I  will  bind  his  dead  carcass  to 
the  saddle-bow,  and  cover  it  with  the  robe  of  Xerxes." 

But  at  this  murderous  suggestion  a  great  shout  of  anger 
254 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


went  up  from  the  others;  for  they  feared  for  their  lives 
to  anger  the  king. 

Then  Mclzar  knocked  upon  the  door,  not  over  loudly, 
but  with  firm  purpose,  as  of  one  who  must  enter,  whether 
or  no. 

"Open!"  he  cried,  "in  the  king's  name!  For  we  are 
come  in  behalf  of  the  Great  King  to  confer  honor  upon  the 
man  who  dwells  here !  " 

Abihail,  who  stood  within,  her  ear  against  the  door,  ran 
hastily  up  the  stairs  leading  to  the  roof,  her  face  purple  with 
haste  and  the  wonder  of  what  she  had  heard.  Mordecai 
stood  yet  at  his  prayers,  his  face  turned  toward  Jerusalem, 
the  ashes  upon  his  head,  and  his  coarse  garment  rent  in 
token  of  his  abasement  and  sorrow. 

"  Art  thou  deaf  to  what  passes  without?  "  demanded  the 
old  woman,  shrilly.  "Look!  I  pray  you,  over  the  parapet 
and  behold  the  street  is  blocked  with  men  and  beasts.  They 
demand  entrance  to  this  house  in  the  name  of  the  king!  " 

Mordecai  looked  coldly  upon  the  woman;  for  he  was 
ill-pleased  to  be  disturbed  in  his  converse  with  Jehovah. 

"  Go,"  he  said,  "  and  say  that  Mordecai,  son  of  Jair, 
prays  to  his  God  at  this  hour,  and  may  not  be  disturbed  by 
the  emissaries  of  any  lesser  king." 

"  I  am  afraid  to  speak  to  the  men !  "  wailed  Abihail. 
"  And  thyself  knowest  thou  hast  forbidden  me  to  hold  con 
verse  with  any  man.  Look,  I  pray  thee,  but  once,  and  then 
tell  me  if  a  woman  may  parley  with  them  that  demand 
entrance  to  thy  house." 

Even  as  she  spoke,  her  round  face  blanched  with  appre 
hension.  The  sound  of  the  loud,  insistent  voice  of  Melzar 
could  be  distinctly  heard  as  he  demanded  entrance  in  the 
name  of  Xerxes. 

Mordecai,  wrapping  his  sackcloth  about  his  gaunt  figure, 
went  to  the  verge  of  the  roof  and  looked  over  into  the  street. 
And  when  he  saw  Haman  and  the  royal  fan-bearer,  and 

255 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


Melzar  with  the  equerries,  and  the  king's  horse,  led  by  a 
man  in  the  king's  liveries,  he  was  both  amazed  and  afraid. 
For,  thought  he,  Haman  has  devised  some  mischief  against 
me  because  I  refused  to  do  him  obeisance. 

"What  will  you,"  he  cried,  "in  my  poor  house?  and 
in  this  the  hour  of  my  devotion  to  the  Highest?  " 

Melzar  looked  to  Haman  to  make  an  answer;  but  Ha 
man  could  not,  being  choked  with  rage  and  humiliation. 

"  We  are  come,  excellent  Matacas,"  quoth  Melzar,  with 
great  courtesy  of  speech,  and  striving  as  one  may  who  looks 
upward  to  a  roof  level  to  perform  his  office  with  due  cere 
mony,  "  to  confer  an  honor  upon  you,  in  the  king's  name 
and  at  the  king's  request." 

"  There  is  no  honor  due  me,"  said  Matacas,  "  and  it  is 
known  to  all  of  you  why  I  mourn.  Nevertheless,  I  will 
come  down." 

He  stood  presently  before  them  in  his  coarse  sackcloth, 
rent  from  neck  to  hem,  and  with  ashes  upon  his  head. 

"  Come  in,"  he  said,  "  till  you  have  made  your  matter 
plain  to  me." 

They  came  in — all  of  them,  and  filled  the  stone-paved 
courtyard  with  glory  and  color.  And  all  waited  for  Haman 
to  speak,  since  upon  him  rested  the  king's  commission." 

And  the  chief  counselor,  ruffling  himself  like  a  fierce 
cock,  spoke  in  a  loud  tone  of  contempt. 

"  I  was  with  the  king  in  the  night  watches,"  he  said, 
"  and  we  spoke  of  rewards  and  punishments — all  such  mat 
ters  being  referred  to  me  and  to  my  wisdom.  '  There  is 
a  man,'  quoth  the  King's  Majesty,  '  who  has  done  me  a  serv 
ice,  and  who  has  not  yet  been  rewarded  therefor.  What 
now  shall  I  do  for  him  ?  '  As  is  my  custom,  I  asked  ques 
tions  of  the  king,  and  learning  that  the  man  to  be  rewarded 
was  of  the  Hebrew  race " 

At  this  Melzar  reminded  Haman  in  a  loud  whisper  that 
a  scribe  was  even  then  writing  a  report  of  whatever  was 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


said;  whereat  Haman  breathed  a  great  oath,  for  he  knew 
not  of  the  scribe. 

"  I  mistake,"  he  corrected  himself.  "  The  king  did  not 
tell  me  the  man's  nationality;  but,  in  my  superior  wisdom, 
I  knew  it ;  and,  knowing  also  that  neither  gold,  estates,  nor 
titles  could  mean  anything  to  one  whose  days  are  numbered, 
I  suggested  that  the  man  wear  the  king's  purple  for  an  hour, 
and  ride  upon  the  king's  beast,  that  the  people  might  know 
beyond  a  peradventure  that  the  Great  King,  the  Lord  of  the 
whole  earth,  the  Ruler  of  peoples  afar  off,  will  reward  each 
man  according  to  his  acts ;  and  that  even  criminals  and  Jews 
may  enjoy  a  portion  of  the  king's  favor. 

Mordecai  looking  steadfastly  at  Haman,  as  he  uttered 
the  half-lying  words,  perceived  clearly  that  here  was  some 
hidden  thing,  not  easily  explainable.  "  Hadassah  has  told 
the  king  of  my  relationship  to  her,"  he  thought;  but  in  this 
he  soon  saw  that  he  was  mistaken. 

"  The  keeper  of  the  king's  seal,"  Haman  went  on,  ever 
more  discourteous  in  look  and  gesture,  as  his  rage  got  the 
better  of  his  discretion,  "  was  permitted  by  the  gods  who 
look  after  the  swine  to  scent  and  uncover  a  foul  carrion — 
in  shape,  a  conspiracy  against  the  king's  life.  And  as  Ahura- 
Mazda  graciously  permits  even  the  vultures  to  serve  his 
ends,  so  was  the  Jew,  Matacas,  allowed  to  serve  the  King's 
Majesty.  Therefore,  Xerxes  took  my  advice,  which  I  give 
him  freely  out  of  the  plentitude  of  my  wisdom,  and  we 
are  here  to  carry  out  the  king's  will.  Go  now,  Jew,  wash 
the  ashes  from  your  beard,  for  the  king's  crown  must  rest 
upon  your  doomed  head;  for  one  hour,  also,  you  shall  wear 
the  king's  robe;  and,  worst  mockery  of  all,  I,  Haman,  chief 
among  all  the  princes  of  the  kingdom,  am  chosen  to  lead 
the  king's  horse  upon  which  you  shall  sit,  and  proclaim  the 
king's  words,  which  I,  and  no  other,  put  into  his  mouth. 
Go  quickly,  Jew;  for  I  must  needs  make  haste  to  a  banquet 
with  the  queen." 

257 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


"  First  tell  me  why  I  am  so  honored,"  demanded  Mor- 
decai,  more  and  more  amazed,  as  he  recognized  the  king's 
high  officials,  the  chief  of  the  royal  wardrobe,  with  pages 
bearing  the  raiment;  the  keeper  of  the  crown,  with  the 
great  chest  containing  the  regalia;  and  most  unbelievable  of 
all,  the  warder  of  the  scepter,  the  token  of  kingly  power. 
"  I  must  know,"  he  said  solemnly,  "  what  this  means,  and 
why  I  am  thus  honored  above  all  men  who  have  ever  lived 
in  the  kingdom  of  the  Medes  and  Persians." 

Haman  ground  his  teeth  in  rage,  for  all  the  servants  of 
the  king  were  bowing  themselves  before  Mordecai,  as  they 
had  done  before  himself  but  yesterday. 

"  I  have  already  told  you,  Jew,"  he  raged.  "  You  dis 
covered  to  the  king  the  murderous  eunuchs  Teresh  and 
Bigthana — though  how  this  came  about  I  know  not,  unless 
you  were  also  concerned  with  them  in  the  matter,  and  being 
a  cowardly  Hebrew  betrayed  your  confederates." 

Mordecai  looked  loftily  upon  Haman,  his  face  irradiated 
with  the  singular  light  of  a  prophet  newly  anointed  of  the 
Spirit  of  wisdom. 

"  Son  of  Hammedetha,"  he  said,  "  I  know  not  why  the 
king,  our  master,  has  thus  chosen  to  humiliate  you ;  but  this 
I  know,  not  long  will  you  be  permitted  to  rage  unchecked. 
The  blood — as  yet  unshed — of  thousands  of  innocent  per 
sons  already  follows  you,  crying  out  to  heaven  for  justice; 
and  the  doom  has  been  pronounced  upon  your  guilty  head. 
Ay,  and  right  speedily  shall  it  fall!  Humble  yourself;  take 
my  sackcloth  and  put  it  on,  and  strew  the  ashes  of  mourning 
upon  your  head,  and  pray  aloud  to  the  God  of  heaven,  that 
the  doom  may  yet  be  averted  from  you  and  your  house. 
For  our  God,  unlike  the  lord  of  the  Medes  and  Persians, 
is  ever  ready  to  extend  mercy  and  even  to  revoke  his  just 
decrees  against  the  guilty  man,  if  only  that  man  will  repent 
and  humble  himself." 

"  Go,  Jew ;  you  waste  our  time  with  profane  and  impu- 
258 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


dent  babblings!  "  cried  Haman.  Yet  under  all  his  loud  and 
boastful  bluster  he  felt  an  icy  chill  of  fear,  as  the  Jew's 
burning  eyes  rested  upon  him. 

"  Will  it  please  my  lord  Haman  to  explain  further  the 
king's  will  regarding  the  royal  scepter?"  suggested  Melzar. 

Haman  stamped  his  foot. 

"  Let  him  first  obey  me,"  he  cried  loudly.  "  Go  wash 
your  filth,  Jew,  lest  the  king  be  forced  to  cast  aside  the 
robes  which  you  have  polluted." 

Mordecai  made  no  answer  to  this  crowning  insult  of 
the  Agagite.  But  he  withdrew  in  all  dignity  to  an  inner 
room  of  his  house,  where  he  rid  himself  of  the  tokens  of 
mourning  and  came  forth  presently  clad  in  a  fresh  tunic  of 
pure  white  linen,  his  noble  head  bent  upon  his  breast,  his 
long  beard,  which  had  of  late  grown  silver  white,  blanched 
by  the  stress  of  his  sorrows  and  labors,  streaming  upon  it. 

Then  Haman,  with  whispered  curses,  which  he  dared 
not  utter  aloud  because  of  those  that  stood  by  with  open 
ears,  and  also  because  of  the  scribe  who  quickly  made  report 
upon  his  tablets  concerning  the  conduct  of  the  affair,  put 
on  Mordecai  in  due  order  the  royal  garments  which  Babires, 
chief  of  the  royal  wardrobe,  handed  him  one  by  one  out  of 
the  baskets  in  which  they  had  been  brought.  And  first  of 
all  he  put  upon  the  Hebrew  a  tunic  of  fine  linen,  of  purple 
mixed  with  white  in  broad  bands,  and  below  the  tunic  full 
trousers  of  a  crimson  hue;  on  his  feet,  the  royal  pages,  at 
the  bidding  of  Haman,  put  the  Median  shoes  of  a  deep 
saffron  color,  long  and  tapering  at  the  toe,  buttoned  with 
topazes  up  the  front,  and  reaching  high  above  the  instep. 
Over  the  garments  thus  specified  Haman  put  the  Median 
garment  called  the  candys,  made  of  richest  silk,  and  ample 
of  fold.  Already  the  Hebrew  scribe  had  assumed  something 
of  the  appearance  of  royalty;  and  even  Haman  in  his  blind 
rage  felt  the  effect  of  his  noble  presence.  The  great,  clumsy 
hands  of  the  privy  counselor  trembled  as  he  laid  hold  of 

259 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


the  royal  robe,  which  was  worn  above  all.  This  garment 
was  fashioned  of  rich  silken  stuff,  woven  in  the  looms  of 
Egypt,  and  dyed  throughout  with  the  costly  purple  of  Tyre, 
used  only  by  royalty ;  about  its  ample  border  it  was  richly 
wrought  with  arabesques  of  gold  thread  and  thickly  sewn 
with  pearls  and  glistening  gems.  All  these  rich  garments 
were  odorous  of  precious  perfumes,  used  only  by  the  king, 
so  that  the  humble  place  smelled  sweetly  as  a  garden  of 
spices. 

Abihail,  well  hidden  in  the  house,  yet  with  her  curious 
old  eyes  fixed  to  the  crack  of  a  shutter,  muttered  an  amazed 
prayer  beneath  her  breath,  as  she  saw  her  master  thus  in 
vested  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  purple  carpet  which  the 
equerries  had  spread. 

And  now  the  great,  gilded  chest  of  sandalwood  in  which 
the  crown  jewels  were  kept  was  opened  by  the  officer,  and 
golden  bands  were  put  upon  the  arms-  of  Mordecai,  and 
about  his  neck  a  wrought  chain  of  gold  holding  a  great  ruby 
of  Ind.  About  his  middle,  also,  they  clasped  a  broad  girdle, 
winking  with  many  gems,  and  in  the  girdle  was  thrust  a 
short  sword,  the  sheath  of  which  was  made  of  precious  jas 
per,  and  its  hilt  of  a  great  amethyst. 

Then  with  bated  breath  was  brought  forward  a  second 
chest  of  sandalwood  containing  the  sacred  regalia.  Haman 
had  begun  to  breathe  short  by  this,  and  his  broad  face  was 
spotted  with  purple  and  livid  crimson ;  and  great  drops  of 
sweat  started  upon  his  forehead.  But  Mordecai,  the  Jew, 
stood  quite  still  in  his  place,  his  breath  coming  and  going 
softly;  his  thoughts  lifted  to  the  distant  throne  of  the  King 
of  kings,  Jehovah,  whose  mighty  hand  he  thought  he  could 
see  in  all  this  wonder. 

Thus  far  the  monarch's  costume,  though  more  magnifi 
cent  than  that  of  a  Persian  noble,  and  differing  from  it  in 
color,  was  not  in  its  general  appearance  unlike  that  worn 
by  Haman  and  other  dignitaries  present.  But  now  the  sec- 

260 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


ond  chest,  supported  upon  the  backs  of  kneeling  slaves,  was 
opened,  and  the  royal  kitaris  was  taken  forth  with  rever 
ent  hands. 

This  was  a  tall,  stiff  headdress  of  brilliant  purple, 
slightly  swelling  from  its  base  to  a  circular  band  of  gold 
which  surrounded  the  flat  top.  Where  the  tiara  rested  upon 
the  head  was  a  second  twisted  band  of  red  gold  set  with 
great  jewels,  which  flashed  with  blinding  splendor  in  the 
sun,  and  just  above  this  was  the  simple  fillet  or  band — 
the  royal  diadem  proper — of  blue,  spotted  with  white.  In 
all  the  history  of  the  Achaemenian  kings  no  man  save  the 
king  had  worn  this  crown.  To  touch  it  profanely  meant 
death  by  torture. 

Instinctively,  Mordecai  bowed  low  before  this  emblem 
of  a  world-wide  power,  and  with  mingled  bitterness  and 
exaltation  of  spirit  felt  upon  his  head  the  mighty  crown 
of  the  king  of  a  myriad  of  rulers.  His  appearance  was  now 
majestic,  and  the  hushed  whispers  of  comment  died  to  awed 
silence,  as  a  high  official  came  forward  bearing  the  scepter, 
a  plain  rod  overlaid  with  gold,  ornamented  with  the  single 
glowing  eye  of  a  great  ruby. 

"  Will  it  please  your  gracious  majesty  to  ride?  "  inquired 
the  master  of  the  horse,  kneeling  before  the  man,  who,  albeit 
for  one  short  hour,  was  now  invested  with  all  the  preroga 
tives  and  terrors  of  the  kingly  state. 

"  If  it  be  the  king's  pleasure,  I  will  ride,"  said  Mordecai, 
in  his  deep,  melancholy  voice. 

"  It  is  the  king's  pleasure  that  you  ride,"  muttered  Ha- 
man,  his  coarse  lips  writhing  away  from  his  yellow  teeth  in 
an  agony  of  humiliation,  as  he  thought  of  what  awaited  him 
in  the  streets  without. 

"  Does  your  highness  understand  that  during  the  hour  in 
which  you  hold  the  royal  scepter  that  you  have  also  the 
power  of  life  and  death,  and  all  such  other  prerogatives  as 
rest  in  the  hand  of  the  one  man  whose  right  it  is  to  carry 

261 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


the  scepter  and  wear  the  double  crown  of  Persia  and 
Media?" 

It  was  Melzar  who  asked  the  fateful  question,  for  he 
perceived  that  Haman  had  purposely  withheld  this  last  token 
of  kingly  favor  from  the  Jew;  and  he  hoped  that  Matacas 
would  use  the  opportunity  to  be  revenged  upon  his  enemy, 
whom  Melzar  also  secretly  feared  and  detested. 

"  Is  this  the  truth,  Agagite?  "  demanded  Mordecai,  turn 
ing  to  Haman,  whose  increasing  distress  was  evident  to  all 
who  looked  on. 

"  It  is  true,"  muttered  Haman,  and  he  trembled,  as  he 
realized  for  the  first  time  that  the  hated  Jew  now  held  his 
life  and  fortune  in  his  grasp. 

But  Mordecai  spoke  not  at  all.  He  was  thinking  of 
many  things,  but  chiefly  of  whether  it  were  possible  for  him 
in  this  one  hour  of  his  authority  to  do  anything  for  his 
doomed  people.  His  lips  moved  in  fervent  prayer  for  wisdom 
and  guidance,  even  while  they  led  forward  the  Arabian  horse, 
his  silken  coat  glistening  in  the  sun,  and  placed  the  pseudo- 
monarch  thereon,  with  all  kingly  pomp  and  circumstance 
of  kneeling  slaves,  and  the  abasement  of  many  proud  heads. 
The  official  fan-bearer  and  the  officer  of  the  royal  umbrella, 
now  took  their  stations  as  custom  prescribed.  Haman 
grasped  the  bridle  of  the  horse;  the  officers  and  equer 
ries  of  the  royal  household  ranged  themselves  in  due  order 
behind';  the  door  was  thrown  wide  to  the  street;  the  final 
orders  were  given  in  low  tones;  and  now  the  procession — 
assuredly  the  strangest  in  all  the  world's  history — was  about 
to  move  forward,  when .  suddenly  there  occurred  a  singular 
and  wholly  unlooked-for  circumstance. 


XXIX 

HE  night  interview  of  Haman  with  the  king 
and  its  astonishing  sequence  flew  from  mouth 
to  mouth  in  royal  Shushan,  and  the  first 
beams  of  the  rising  sun  had  scarce  gilded  the 
stately  fagades  of  the  many  palaces  before 
everyone  knew  that  for  one  hour  Matacas, 
the  keeper  of  the  royal  seal,  would  be  in  semblance  and  in 
power,  also,  King  of  Media  and  Persia.  No  such  extraordi 
nary  honor  had  been  vouchsafed  to  any  prince,  potentate,  or 
ruler  in  the  past ;  and  there  were  not  lacking  those  who  made 
dismal  prognostications  of  evil  resulting  from  the  king's  rash 
action.  Others  shrewdly  foresaw  great  and  sudden  changes 
in  the  royal  policy  presaged  in  this  signal  honor  paid  to  one 
of  the  doomed  Hebrews.  The  kingly  favor  was  ever  most 
capricious,  so  they  that  stood  to-day  on  the  topmost  pinnacle 
of  wealth  and  glory  might  to-morrow  be  numbered  with  the 
dishonored  dead,  their  bodies  exposed  to  public  ignominy, 
their  estates  confiscate  to  the  crown,  or  given  to  some  new 
favorite. 

263 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


In  the  chamber  of  Amytis,  daughter  of  Xerxes,  all  the 
details  of  this  latest  bit  of  palace  gossip  were  being  discussed 
in  low  tones  by  the  tire-women  and  ladies  in  attendance, 
as  they  set  forth  the  various  articles  requisite  for  the  use 
of  their  young  mistress.  To-day  the  princess  was  to  be  for 
mally  presented  to  Mathistan,  Prince  of  Ecbatana,  who  had 
come  with  alacrity  at  the  king's  bidding  to  fetch  home  his 
bride;  so  the  toilet  about  to  be  made  was  a  most  magnificent 
one,  and  the  tire-women  were  anxiously  busy,  even  as  they 
talked  of  the  doomed  Jew  and  his  brief  hour  of  glory,  with 
the  many  embroidered  articles  to  be  worn  beneath  the  royal 
robe  of  violet  and  white,  which  already  lay  in  order  on  a 
long  divan. 

The  low  hum  of  voices  ceased  instantly  as  the  prin 
cess  entered  from  her  bath  in  an  adjoining  chamber;  for 
it  was  well  understood  among  her  attendants  that  Amy 
tis  would  not  listen  to  the  tales  circulated  from  lip  to  lip  in 
the  palace.  She  was  ever  a  kind  mistress,  but  imperious 
and  determined  withal,  as  became  a  daughter  of  the  Achae- 
menian  line,  whose  head  and  founder  was  the  great  Cyrus, 
long  since  dead  and  buried  in  a  stately  tomb  of  marble  at 
Pasargadae. 

On  this  day  of  all  others  when  a  maid,  be  she  royal  or 
baseborn,  should  smile  and  be  glad,  Amytis  appeared  pale 
and  languid  as  she  gave  herself  into  the  hands  of  her 
women  to  be  made  yet  more  beautiful.  And  one  of  her 
maids  observing  this  ventured  to  suggest  the  merest  touch 
of  the  fragrant  rose  color  compounded  for  royal  lips  and 
cheeks  and  enclosed  in  one  of  the  golden  jars  upon  the  toilet 
table. 

"  I  am  too  pallid,  say  you  ?  "  Amytis  demanded,  leaning 
forward  to  gaze  at  herself  in  the  wide  expanse  of  her  silver 
mirror.  "Nay;  I  care  not;  and  were  I  colorless  as  the 
dead,  I  should  not  allow  you  to  paint  me.  I  despise  the 
practice,  and  shall  not  permit  it  in  my  court." 

264 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  The  honorable  Prince  of  Ecbatana  cannot  but  find  you 
fair  in  whatever  guise  you  choose  to  appear,"  said  the  tire 
woman,  anxious  to  please. 

The  princess  drew  her  pretty  brows  together  in  a  decided 
frown.  She  had  already  seen  the  Prince  of  Ecbatana,  and 
had  taken  a  violent  dislike  to  both  his  person  and  manner. 

"  Where  is  Dinora?  "  she  asked  sharply.  "  I  do  not  see 
her  here." 

The  maids  looked  at  one  another  in  dismay.  Then  one 
of  them  spoke. 

"  Dinora  is,  as  the  gracious  princess  knows,  a  Hebrew  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  know  it.  What  then  ?  I  wish  her  attendance 
at  once." 

"  The  gracious  princess  knows  of  the  excellent  edict  of 
the  king  regarding  the  Hebrews?" 

"  It  is  not  an  excellent  edict.  It  is  a  wicked,  outrageous 
edict,  and  I  have  already  told  my  father  so;  but  what  has 
the  edict  to  do  with  my  poor  Dinora?  I  shall  hide  her  in 
my  own  chamber  when  the  day  of  doom  comes.  I  have 
promised  her  that  no  one  shall  harm  so  much  as  a  hair  of 
her  head." 

Her  women  exchanged  significant  glances  behind  her 
back;  they  thought  they  knew  the  reason  for  this  promise. 
Then  one  shook  her  head  and  sighed. 

"  Dinora  ventured  to  absent  herself  from  the  service  of 
the  princess  this  morning  because  she  hoped  to  do  something 
for  her  people.  She  thinks  of  nothing  else  by  day;  dreams 
of  nothing  else  by  night  ?  " 

"  What  can  she  do — poor  slave  ?  "  murmured  Amytis 
compassionately.  "  Even  I,  should  I  entreat  my  father  for 
the  Hebrews,  could  not  undo  the  edict,  which  is  of  the  laws 
of  the  Medes  and  Persians  and  cannot  be  unsaid.  But  I 
shall  save  alive  whom  I  will.  I,  the  daughter  of  Xerxes, 
have  said  it !  " 

The  princess  was  silent  for  a  space,  submitting  to  her 
265 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


coiffeuse,  while  she  braided  and  curled  the  rich  masses  of 
silken  hair  under  her  skillful  hands. 

"  Dinora  has  gone  forth  to  supplicate  the  king-for-an- 
hour,  who  will  this  morning  be  crowned  and  sceptered  in 
Shushan,"  ventured  one  of  the  women  respectfully. 

"What  wild  thing  are  you  saying?"  demanded  the 
princess  sharply.  "  Is  my  father  ill,  or  demented,  like  the 
Babylonian  Nebuchadnezzar  ?  " 

"  The  Great  King — may  he  live  forever — is  neither  ill, 
nor  have  the  gods  afflicted  him;  but  it  is  said  that  because 
the  Hebrew  Matacas  saved  his  life  from  the  conspirators, 
who  are  long  since  dead  and  devoured  by  vultures,  as  is 
good  for  malefactors;  and  because  the  reward  of  Matacas 
was  late  in  coming,  he  now  rides  upon  the  king's  horse, 
and  wears  the  king's  crown,  and  for  one  hour  carries  the 
king's  scepter.  More  than  this,  he  will  ride  through  the 
city  to  be  supplicated  by  whoever  will;  and  for  this  has 
Dinora  gone  forth  to  seek  mercy  for  the  Hebrews  of  a 
Hebrew,  who  for  one  hour  is  king  and  lord  of  nations." 

Amytis  listened  to  this  singular  explanation  of  the  ab 
sence  of  her  favorite  maid  in  silence.  Then  she  waved  aside 
her  tire-women,  who  would  have  put  on  her  the  silken  robe 
of  state,  in  which  it  was  supposed  she  would  presently  be 
given  by  her  father  in  marriage  to  the  Median  prince. 

"  I  must  think,"  she  said. 

After  a  little  she  questioned  the  women  further  of  the 
matter,  asking  through  what  streets  the  procession  would 
pass ;  and  if  it  were  true  beyond  a  peradventure  that  to  Mata 
cas  the  king  had  entrusted  all  his  powers  for  even  so  brief 
a  space. 

The  maids  declared  that  it  was  so;  and  that  even  at  that 
hour  preparations  were  going  forward  to  carry  out  the  king's 
orders.  One  had  seen  the  chiefs  of  the  royal  wardrobe 
going  forth  from  the  palace,  followed  by  slaves  bearing  the 
sacred  garments  of  the  king;  another  averred  that  Haman 

266 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


had  already  gone  to  the  Jew's  house,  and  a  third  protested 
that  she  knew  where  Matacas  dwelt;  and  that,  moreover, 
all  the  city  was  agog  to  see  the  strange  sight  of  a  Hebrew 
wearing  the  king's  crown  and  riding  openly  through  the 
principal  streets,  and  so  to  the  palace,  where  Xerxes  would 
himself  view  the  procession  from  the  Northern  Portico.  A 
fourth  added  that  Matacas  would  doubtless  be  further  dis 
tinguished,  since  a  man  who  had  thus  worn  the  purple  could 
not  in  future  be  an  obscure  person. 

"  Bring  me,"  ordered  Amytis,  "  a  plain  robe  of  white, 
such  as  I  wear  in  my  garden,  when  I  work  among  the 
flowers.  Fetch  also  a  veil  of  a  dark  blue  color,  like  the  veils 
worn  by  maids  of  humble  station." 

"  But  may  I  remind  the  gracious  princess  that  the  Prince 
of  Ecbatana  will  be  waiting?  "  ventured  one  of  the  older 
women,  who  held  a  quasi-authority  over  the  princess,  since 
she  had  been  her  nurse  from  babyhood. 

"  Let  the  Prince  of  Ectabana  wait,"  quoth  Amytis,  with 
a  tilt  of  her  pretty  head. 

And  now  her  maids  observed  that  the  cheeks  and  lips 
of  the  princess  were  sweetly  tinted  with  the  warm  blood 
beneath,  and  that  with  the  unbecoming  pallor  had  also  van 
ished  her  lassitude  and  unhappy  looks. 

"  Make  haste!  "  cried  she,  "  for  I  must  needs  supplicate 
this  new  monarch  on  my  own  account,  since  I  would  ask  a 
boon  which  my  father  will  not  grant  me." 

Her  women  obeyed  with  eager  good  will ;  for  they  loved 
the  princess,  and  her  tears  and  the  sad  droop  of  her  once  gay 
and  buoyant  figure  had  irked  them  sorely.  They  fetched 
the  plain  dress  of  white,  and  the  coarse  veil  of  blue  worn 
by  the  maids  in  the  great  city  below.  And  presently,  fol 
lowed  by  one  small  maiden,  also  close  wrapped  in  the  coarse 
mantle  of  the  common  people,  the  daughter  of  Xerxes  fared 
forth  to  the  great  terrace  of  the  palace ;  and  being  quite 
unobserved  among  the  multitudes  of  hurrying  figures,  the 
18  267 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


two  maids  presently  made  their  way  unchallenged  down  the 
great  staircase,  and  so  into  the  town. 

Never  before  had  Amytis  set  foot  upon  the  streets  of  her 
native  city,  and  at  first  the  sights  and  sounds  terrified  her, 
so  that  she  clung  fast  to  the  arm  of  her  maid,  her  breath 
coming  and  going  in  little  gasps  of  fear  and  astonishment. 

"  I  could  never  before  imagine  what  it  would  be  like 
to  be  poor,  and  live  in  these  narrow  streets,"  she  murmured, 
as  the  two  girls  were  forced  to  flatten  themselves  against  a 
wall  to  avoid  the  bulging  packs  on  either  side  of  a  deminutive 
donkey,  driven  by  a  tall  Sagartian,  wearing  the  scarlet  loin 
cloth,  striped  woolen  shirt,  and  barbaric  ornaments  of  his 
province.  The  man  shouted  roughly  to  them  as  he  passed, 
stringing  out  vulgar  oaths  in  his  own  tongue,  which  hap 
pily  neither  maid  could  understand. 

"  Presently  we  shall  reach  the  market,"  the  companion 
of  the  princess  said  encouragingly,  "  and  from  thence  to  the 
street  of  the  Hebrews  it  is  not  far." 

In  the  market  was  a  great,  noisy  crowd  of  those  that 
bought  and  sold,  and  here  the  princess  recovered  some  of  her 
adventurous  spirits.  She  kept  close,  it  is  true,  to  her  bolder 
and  more  experienced  guide,  but  her  blue  eyes  peeping  out 
from  under  cover  of  the  dark  veil  took  note  of  the  many- 
hued  crowd  that  jostled  her  as  if  she  were  any  low-born 
maiden  of  the  people.  Here,  mixed  with  the  hucksters  and 
the  townspeople,  were  to  be  seen  travelers  and  sightseers 
from  the  distant  cities  of  the  empire,  and  soldiers  from  the 
lofty  fortress  adjoining  the  palace.  These  were  of  many 
nationalities,  and  the  scarlet  kilts  and  gilded  breastplates  of 
the  handsome  Median  archers  were  contrasted  with  the  plain 
leathern  jerkins  of  the  Berbers,  or  the  flowing  cotton  dress 
of  the  natives  of  central  Ind.  Here  and  there,  swart  Ethi- 
opes  from  the  Upper  Nile,  their  glistening  shoulders  half 
covered  with  leopard  or  lion  skins,  made  their  way  amid 
the  babbling  crowd,  intent  upon  the  piles  of  melons  with 

268 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


which  the  stalls  of  the  vendors  were  loaded.  In  the  center 
of  the  square  a  space  had  been  cleared  for  the  antics  of  a 
couple  of  Scyths  in  loose  spangled  trousers  and  tall  pointed 
caps,  who  divided  the  attention  of  the  gaping  onlookers  with 
a  Babylonian  astrologer,  who  proclaimed  in  a  loud  singsong 
his  willingness  to  read  the  stars  for  the  benefit  of  any  who 
desired  to  know  his  destiny,  and  this  for  the  insignificant 
sum  represented  by  a  silver  daric. 

On  either  side  were  low-arched  booths,  their  fagades 
shielded  from  the  glaring  light  of  the  sun  by  parti-colored 
cloths  stretched  over  the  heads  of  the  crowd.  Here  were 
sold  the  many  commodities  necessary  to  the  maintenance  of 
existence,  many  of  which  the  wide-eyed  princess  had  never 
seen  in  their  natural  state.  Poultry  and  game,  including 
wild  boars  from  the  forests  of  the  foothills,  stags,  antelopes, 
wild  partridges,  and  with  them  the  domesticated  fowls,  such 
as  chickens,  geese,  and  ducks  heaped  certain  stalls,  and  over 
flowed  into  the  neighboring  square;  while  of  eggs,  vege 
tables,  and  fruit  there  seemed  to  be  no  end.  On  the  opposite 
side  of  the  square  were  booths  whereon  were  displayed  car 
pets  of  Babylon  and  Sardis,  rich  shawls  from  Kashmir  and 
Ind,  and  fine  linens,  variously  dyed,  from  the  looms  of  Bor- 
sippa  and  Egypt.  Here  also  were  coverlets  and  hangings 
from  Damascus,  curiously  wrought  with  many-colored 
threads  of  wool;  while  the  muslins  of  Babylon,  many  of 
which  were  almost  as  diaphanous  as  the  silken  tissues  fur 
nished  by  the  same  splendid  marts,  occupied  a  corner  by 
themselves.  All  these  booths  were  presided  over  by  Greeks, 
Egyptians,  Babylonians  or  Hebrews,  since  no  Mede  or  Per 
sian  would  demean  himself  by  entering  into  trade  either  as 
a  buyer  or  a  seller.  Shopping  and  bargaining  involved  the 
necessity  of  falsehood,  it  was  said;  hence  it  was  fit  only 
for  slaves  and  barbarians.  The  labors  of  the  loom,  the  toil 
of  gold,  silver,  and  coppersmiths,  as  well  as  the  more  gen 
eral  tasks  of  purveying  to  the  needs  of  the  vast  empire,  were 

269 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


thus  given  entirely  into  the  hands  of  foreigners,  who  waxed 
fat  on  the  profits  of  trade. 

"  We  must  make  haste,  dear  mistress,"  whispered  the 
slave  girl  in  the  ear  of  the  princess,  "  there  will  be  a  great 
crowd  gathered  about  the  house  of  the  Jew,  and  no  one 
will  show  us  consideration  in  such  a  multitude." 

"  I  am  coming,  Pactya;  but  first  tell  me  what  the  men 
yonder  are  selling.  See  the  odd-looking  women,  quite  un 
veiled,  with  children  clinging  to  their  skirts." 

"  Those  are  the  Arabian  vendors  of  perfumes,  gracious 
Princess,"  the  maid  answered  unthinkingly.  "  You  would 
find  on  their  stalls  boxes  and  vases  of  alabaster  and  agate, 
filled  with  fragrant  salves  and  cosmetics ;  they  also  sell  frank 
incense  and  nard,  with  many  other  spices,  precious  gums, 
and  perfumes." 

Neither  mistress  nor  maid  was  aware  that  their  con 
versation  was  being  overheard  by  a  veiled  woman  who  had 
crowded  close  behind  them  in  the  press,  and  who  now  fixed 
piercing  eyes  upon  the  two  as  they  made  their  way  to  the 
street  Kashkar,  which  branched  off  from  the  busy  market 
square  at  right  angles.  The  veiled  woman  called  sharply 
to  a  small  boy  who  was  playing  with  a  handful  of  copper 
rings  almost  under  the  feet  of  the  crowd. 

"  Go,"  she  said  sharply,  "  call  Vaj-Niya;  tell  him  to  fol 
low  me  straightway.  I  have  a  quarry  in  view." 

Then  she,  too,  melted  into  the  crowd  which  was  steadily 
streaming  into  the  street  called  Kashkar,  which  led  toward 
the  river  and  the  southernmost  wall  of  the  city. 

"If  we  do  not  find  the  Jew,  we  ought  to  return  at  once 
to  the  palace,  dear  mistress,"  the  slave  girl  was  saying,  as  the 
strange  woman  once  more  jostled  them  in  the  ever-increasing 
throng.  "See,  the  sun  is  riding  high  above  the  houses;  it 
will  soon  be  the  hour  of  noon." 

Amytis  shuddered  slightly.  She  had  been  commanded 
to  appear  that  morning  in  the  great  hall  of  the  royal  house, 

270 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


there  to  be  formally  given  to  the  Median  prince.  From 
thenceforward  she  knew  that  she  would  be  his  property,  to 
do  with  as  he  liked ;  assuredly  to  be  taken  away  to  distant 
Ecbatana  under  a  strong  escort  of  troops,  there  to  be  im 
mured  in  some  gilded  and  cushioned  prison,  where  nothing 
more  interesting  than  the  sipping  of  sherbets,  and  the  un 
ending  processes  of  the  toilet  would  break  the  dreary  monot 
ony  of  the  days. 

"  We  must  find  the  Jew,"  she  said  decidedly.  "  That 
is  why  I  came.  I  always  do  as  I  intend.  Have  you  not 
discovered  it  ?  "  And  she  quickened  her  steps,  so  that  the 
veiled  woman  was  forced  to  quicken  hers  also. 

This  person  presently  ventured  to  touch  the  princess  upon 
the  shoulder. 

"  Pity  the  sorrows  of  a  poor  woman,  who  has  lost  an 
only  daughter,  and  has  not  the  means  to  purchase  the  wax 
wherewith  to  preserve  her  body  from  contaminating  the  ele 
ments,"  she  whined. 

The  serving  woman  in  quick  alarm  would  have  thrust 
her  strong  young  body  between  her  mistress  and  the  beggar, 
who  was,  her  quick  eye  told  her,  a  woman  of  the  nomadic 
tribes  which  haunted  the  black  foothills  of  the  Zagros  moun 
tains;  but  Amytis  waved  her  imperiously  aside. 

"  Be  quiet,  Pactya,"  she  said,  "  I  wish  to  question  this 
poor  woman,"  and  she  pushed  aside  her  veil,  the  better  to 
look  at  the  suppliant.  "Your  daughter  is  dead,  you  say? 
Why,  then,  are  you  here  and  not  weeping  at  home?  But 
stay,  I  will  help  you.  Have  you  any  money,  Pactya?" 

"  There  is  nothing  in  my  pouch ;  and  do  not,  I  beg  of 
you,  tarry  to  talk  to  this  woman,  dear  mistress,"  entreated 
the  girl,  more  and  more  alarmed  as  she  saw  the  bold  eyes 
of  the  nomad  staring  greedily  at  the  princess'  soft  white 
hands  and  richly  embroidered  tunic,  which  showed  beneath 
the  hem  of  the  coarse  blue  veil. 

"  I  am  coming,  Pactya;  but  first  let  me  give  the  woman 
271 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


a  bracelet.     Take  this,  and  sell  it,  poor  creature,  and  buy 
what  you  will  with  it." 

The  woman  took  the  twisted  circle  of  red  Egyptian  gold 
and  turned  it  over  in  her  coarse  hands. 

"  This  bauble  is  copper,"  she  said  contemptuously,  "  I 
can  do  nothing  with  it." 

Amytis'  blue  eyes  flashed. 

"  You  deserve  to  be  beaten  for  your  bold  insolence,"  she 
said  haughtily.  "  Come,  Pactya." 

"  Not  so  fast,  my  pretty  one,"  sneered  the  woman. 
"  Your  bracelet  may  be  copper ;  but  you,  I  am  confident,  are 
pure  gold.  You  will  come  with  me  and  comfort  me  for  the 
loss  of  my  daughter.  Come !  "  and  she  laid  hold  of  the  slim 
wrist  of  the  princess  with  a  determined  hand. 

"  How  dare  you  touch  me?  "  cried  Amytis,  trying  vainly 
to  wrench  herself  out  of  the  woman's  powerful  grasp.  "  Let 
me  go  this  instant!" 

The  serving  woman  of  the  princess,  half  out  of  her  wits 
with  terror,  gave  vent  to  a  loud  scream  as  she  beheld  her  mis 
tress  separated  from  her  in  the  throng,  the  veiled  woman  and 
an  ill-looking  man  wearing  a  yellow  cap  pulling  her  along, 
one  on  either  side. 

"  What's  amiss,  my  bird,  that  you  sing  so  loud  ?  "  asked 
a  voice  in  her  ear. 

Pactya  looked  up  wildly  and  recognized  a  soldier  wear 
ing  the  gold  and  scarlet  of  the  king's  archers. 

"  Yonder  is  the  king's  daughter,  being  dragged  along  by 
gypsies.  There!  with  the  blue  veil  and  white  robe.  Quick! 
they  will  take  her  away!" 

The  soldier  breathed  a  great  oath,  and  stood  staring  in 
credulously  at  the  girl. 

"  You  are,  of  course,  lying,"  he  said,  interrupting  the  tide 
of  frenzied  supplication  which  Pactya  poured  out.  "  The 
king's  daughter  could  not  be  here — attended  only  by  you. 

Nevertheless " 

272 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


He  dashed  forward,  followed  by  the  girl,  and  presently 
put  his  hand  upon  the  man  with  the  yellow  cap. 

"  Here,  fellow,"  he  growled.  "  What  are  you  doing 
with  this — "  he  stooped  to  lift  Amytis'  veil.  "  By  Or- 
mazd !  you  have  gagged  the  woman !  "  he  exclaimed  sharply, 
and  fetched  the  man  with  the  yellow  cap  a  great  buffet  over 
the  ear. 

Instantly  there  was  a  hubbub  of  confusion,  in  the  midst 
of  which  the  veiled  woman  slipped  adroitly  away  like  a 
scared  rabbit  overlooked  by  fighting  dogs;  and  Amytis  and 
Pactya,  rinding  themselves  also  unnoticed,  wrapped  their 
veils  about  their  white  faces  and  shrank  away  out  of  sight 
into  the  dark  shadow  of  an  arched  gateway. 

"  What — what  shall  we  do  ?  "  panted  the  slave  girl,  her 
tongue  thick  with  fright.  "  Almost  you  were  lost  to  me, 
and  I — what  must  I  have  done?  Anon  I  should  have 
thrown  myself  into  the  river." 

"  You  are  a  fool,  Pactya,"  said  Amytis,  stamping  her 
small  foot.  "  You  should  have  given  the  alarm  at  once. 
There  are  plenty  of  soldiers  about." 

"  Plenty  of  soldiers — yes :  it  was  a  soldier  who  saved  you. 
And  see,  he  has  punished  the  man  who  was  dragging  you 
away,  and  now  he  is  looking  around  in  the  crowd  for  us. 
Shall  I  call  him  ?  He  would  take  us  safely  back  to  the  pal 
ace.  He  would  not  dare  do  otherwise." 

Amytis  motioned  to  the  girl  to  be  silent,  while  she  bent 
forward,  her  blue  eyes  alive  with  determination.  "  Do  you 
not  hear  the  sound  of  trumpets  ?  "  she  said.  "  Come ;  it  can 
not  be  far,  and  the  procession  will  be  starting  from  the  Jew's 
house." 

And  so  it  was  that,  just  as  the  cavalcade  headed  by  the 
king's  trumpeters  defiled  into  the  street,  a  maiden  wearing 
a  plain  robe  of  white  and  wrapped  in  the  blue  veil  worn 
by  the  women  of  Shushan  appeared  in  the  road  before  the 
dow-stepping  Arabian  bearing  the  stately  figure  of  Mordecai, 

273 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


robed,  crowned,  and  sceptered  with  royalty.  And  the  maiden 
cried  out  in  a  loud,  clear  voice,  so  that  all  who  heard  it 
stopped  without  knowing  wherefore  they  obeyed. 

"  A  boon,  my  lord,  who  is  to-day  the  Great  King.  A 
boon  of  thy  graciousness !  " 

The  tall  figure  of  the  erstwhile  scribe  was  observed  to 
stiffen  slightly.  He  slowly  extended  the  scepter,  and  the 
girl  drew  near  and  touched  it,  bowing  herself  low  as  she 
did  so. 

"  What  wilt  thou,  woman  ?  "  asked  the  deep  voice  of  the 
Hebrew.  "Speak  quickly;  for  there  must  be  no  delay." 

"  There  must  needs  be  delay,  when  my  Lord  King  rides 
among  his  subjects,"  said  the  girl,  "  for  there  will  be  many 
to  supplicate  his  favor.  But,  listen,  I  pray  you,  to  my  mat 
ter;  it  is  but  a  little  one,  yet  to  me  my  whole  life.  My 
father  is  a  soldier  and  well  used  to  command,  and  he  has 
ordered  me,  his  maiden  daughter,  to  wed  a  man  of  thrice 
my  years.  To-day  am  I  to  be  given  to  this  man,  whom  I 
fear  and  hate,  to  be  borne  away  to  a  distant  city.  I  entreat 
your  Majesty's  Grace  that  I  be  released  from  this  promise 
of  my  father's!  " 

Mordecai  looked  kindly  upon  the  veiled  figure  of  the 
girl. 

"  Maiden,"  he  said,  "  do  you  love  another  than  the  man 
whom  your  father  has  chosen  for  you?  " 

Amytis  clasped  and  unclasped  her  small  hands  in  an 
agony  of  confusion;  a  tide  of  passionate  color  flooded  her 
hidden  face. 

"  I  love  another,"  she  whispered,  "  but  he  is  condemned 
under  the  law  against  the  Hebrews.  Cannot  you  save  him? 
O  King!  I  entreat  your  clemency  and  mercy  for  that 
doomed  race!  " 

"  And  yet,  you  are  not  a  Hebrew  maid,"  mused  the  Jew 
who  wore  the  royal  crown.  He  bent  forward  to  scan  the 
slender  figure  which  knelt  upon  the  stones  of  the  street,  her 

274 


'AKD  HAMAV,  WITH  A  FACE  OF  CI.AY,  WALKED  BEFORE  MOHOECAI  THHOUOH  THE 
STREETS  OF  THE  CITY." 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


white  slender  hands  joined  high  above  her  head  in  fervent 
supplication. 

"What  may  I  do  in  the  face  of  the  king's  edict?"  he 
muttered,  more  to  himself  than  to  any  other.  "It  is  writ 
ten,  and  nothing  can  alter  or  erase  the  writing." 

Haman,  the  magnificent,  who  held  the  bridle  of  the 
king's  horse,  his  face  alternately  livid  and  purple  with  the 
ebb  and  flow  of  humiliation  and  fury,  gave  vent  to  an  im 
patient  oath. 

"Out  of  the  way,  girl!"  he  said,  only  he  used  a  vile 
word  to  address  the  kneeling  woman;  it  was  a  word  which 
cost  him  dear. 

The  girl  sprang  up  and  threw  back  her  shrouding  veil. 

"  Call  you  the  daughter  of  the  Great  King  by  a  foul 
name?  "  she  cried,  and  her  voice  rang  out  over  the  crowded 
place  like  one  of  the  silver  trumpets,  which  now  swung  mute 
from  the  hands  of  the  king's  guards.  "  Nay,  the  tongue 
that  hath  spoken  it  shall  shortly  wither  in  your  mouth,  great 
Haman.  Of  that,  be  well  assured." 

A  thousand  incredulous  eyes  were  now  fixed  upon  the 
beautiful  face  of  the  bold  princess,  but  of  all  that  stared 
wondering,  Mordecai  alone  knew  certainly  that  it  was  the 
daughter  of  Xerxes  who  stood  before  him ;  and  he  trembled 
beneath  the  purple  to  think  what  might  be  the  bitter  conse 
quences  of  her  impulsive  act. 

"  Peace  be  with  thee,  maiden,"  he  said  slowly.  "  I  grant 
you  the  boon  of  release  from  a  loveless  marriage;  and  let 
the  scribes  so  write.  But  I  cannot  revoke  the  king's  edict 
concerning  the  Hebrews.  It  is  already  among  the  laws  of 
the  Medes  and  Persians  which  cannot  be  altered." 

There  was  a  fresh  stir  among  the  dense  crowd  as  a  young 
martial  figure,  wearing  the  uniform  of  a  high  officer  of  the 
king's  Immortals  pressed  forward.  Amytis  cast  an  amazed 
glance  at  the  lofty  figure  and  glittering  armor,  then  she 
hastily  drew  the  shrouding  veil  about  her  face.  The  Com- 

275 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


mander  of  the  Immortals  bowed  himself  and  touched  the 
extended  scepter  of  majesty. 

"  If  it  seem  good  to  the  King's  Majesty,  let  the  king 
grant  that  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  the  month  Adar,  which 
is  the  twelfth  month,  that  all  the  Jews  which  are  in  every 
town  and  city  have  the  king's  leave  to  defend  themselves 
against  the  attack  of  their  enemies,  and  to  put  to  death 
whoever  ventures  to  touch  them  or  their  goods." 

The  voice  of  the  young  Prince  of  Edom  trembled  slightly 
as  he  preferred  this  bold  request;  but  he  stood  proudly  erect 
beside  the  slender  figure  of  the  daughter  of  Xerxes. 

A  murmur  of  astonishment  passed  through  the  crowd, 
and  every  eye  fastened  expectantly  upon  the  crowned  and 
sceptered  Hebrew. 

"  Jehovah  be  my  witness  that  I  would  gladly  lay  down 
my  life  for  my  people !  "  groaned  Mordecai,  and  the  by 
standers  saw  the  great  drops  that  stood  out  upon  his  fore 
head.  "  But  I  cannot  tamper  with  the  king's  laws,  even 
though  mine  own  life  and  the  lives  most  dear  to  me  are 
forfeit.  /  must — refuse!  " 

A  great,  incoherent  cry  arose  from  the  ever-increasing 
multitude,  and  many  dark  Hebrew  faces  glared  at  the  pseu 
do-monarch. 

"  There  must  needs  be  delay,  when  my  Lord  King  rides 
our  trust!  He  thinks  to  escape  himself,  and  leave  us  to 
perish ! "  were  some  of  the  angry  words  which  reached 
the  ear  of  Mordecai.  But  the  stern  face  under  the  kingly 
diadem  of  Persia  and  Media  only  grew  a  shade  more 
pallid. 

"  Do  you,  Prince  of  Edom,"  he  commanded,  "  see  to  it 
that  yonder  maid,  who  but  lately  entreated  a  boon  at  my 
hands,  is  safely  escorted  to  the  shelter  of  her  father's  house. 
Do  not  fail  of  this,  as  you  hope  for  the  mercy  of  Jehovah 
on  the  day  of  doom !  " 

Then  he  bent  his  head  and  spoke  to  the  man  who  held 
276 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


the  bridle  of  his  horse.  "  Let  us  go  on ;  the  time  grows  short 
for  what  we  must  do." 

The  chief  counselor,  whose  small,  wicked  eyes  were  roll 
ing  curiously  upon  the  girl,  who  had  by  now  drawn  back 
among  the  crowd,  muttered  an  oath  in  a  strange  tongue. 

And  the  procession  moved  forward,  the  crowd  making 
way  before  it  sullenly,  and  closing  again  after  it;  as  a  red 
wound  opens  and  closes  upon  the  glittering  track  of  a  keen 
knife. 

And  Haman,  with  a  face  of  clay  upon  which  was  plainly 
written  all  evil  passions,  walked  before  Mordecai  through 
the  streets  of  the  city,  proclaiming  in  a  stifled  voice  the 
words  which  he  had  himself  put  in  the  king's  mouth: 

"  Thus  shall  it  be  done  to  the  man  whom  the  king  de 
lights  to  honor!  " 


XXX 

HE  Prince  of  Edom,  mindful  of  the  com 
mand  laid  upon  him  by  the  man  whom  the 
king's  honor  had  set  for  an  hour  above 
the  heads  of  the  populace,  approached  the 
maiden  who  had  been  pointed  out  to  him. 
He  had  not  been  present  when  she  had  de 
clared  herself  to  be  the  daughter  of  Xerxes,  and  to  his  care 
less  eye  she  was  a  woman  of  the  people,  no  more. 

He  spoke  to  her,  therefore,  in  a  tone  of  gentle  authority, 
as  was  fitting  for  a  man  high  in  the  royal  service. 

"  I  am  bidden  to  convey  you  safe  to  your  father's  house, 
maiden,"  he  said.  "  And  this  it  would  seem  I  must  do  at 
once  since  other  duties  press  upon  me.  If  you  will  go  before, 
I  will  follow,  and  I  give  you  my  word  that  no  harm  shall 
befall  you." 

Amytis  drew  aside  her  veil  and  looked  at  him. 
"  Do  you  not  know  me  ?  "  she  asked  in  a  stifled  voice. 
He  bent  forward  and  scanned  her  features. 

"Amytis!     Gracious  Princess,  what  do  you  here?" 
278 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  I  came,"  the  princess  said  proudly,  "  to  ask  a  boon  of 
the  Jew — nay,  two  tokens  of  the  kingly  favor  I  begged. 
One  he  granted  me;  the  other  he  refused.  I  shall  at  least 
not  be  forced  to  wed  the  Prince  of  Ecbatana,  whom  I  hate; 
but  I  could  not  save  your  race,  as  I  had  hoped.  But  I 
will  save  you." 

"You  will  save  me?    Why?" 

The  prince  looked  deep  into  her  eyes,  and  her  eyes  told 
him  the  truth.  He  trembled  and  grew  pale  under  all  the 
bronze  of  foreign  suns. 

"  I  am  most  grateful,  daughter  of  Xerxes,"  he  said  slow 
ly,  and  would  have  knelt  to  kiss  the  border  of  her  mantle 
in  the  midst  of  the  deserted  street,  but  she  repulsed  him  with 
a  haughty  gesture. 

"  I  am  the  daughter  of  Xerxes,"  she  said,  after  a  silence, 
filled  with  the  silver  notes  of  distant  trumpets  and  the  sul 
len  murmur  of  the  departed  multitude.  "  I  am  the  child 
of  many  kings;  the  blood  of  the  great  Cyrus  beats  in  my 
veins  and  urges  me  to  bold  action.  It  is  true,  alas,  that  I 
may  not  be  a  conqueror  of  provinces,  a  warrior  whose  word 
becomes  fateful  law,  but  I  would  gain  for  myself  hap 
piness.  I  care  for  no  other  crown  than  the  crown  of  love. 
And  this  diadem  I  crave  from  one  who — I  fear — loves  me 
not." 

Her  head  sank  upon  her  breast  and  a  rosy  color  flooded 
her  pale  cheeks,  only  to  fade  again  as  she  waited  for  him 
to  speak. 

"  Princess,"  he  began  slowly,  "  it  is  not  according  to  the 
laws  and  customs  of  the  court  for  a  man  such  as  I  to  speak 
to  the  king's  daughter.  And  so,  I  beg " 

"  I  care  not  for  the  laws  and  customs  of  the  king's  court," 
she  interrupted  him  passionately.  "  They  are  altogether  vain 
and  false.  I  will  not  be  bound  by  them.  Nay,  to  be  a  base- 
born  slave  were  better — far  better  than  to  be  the  daughter 
of  Xerxes,  if  I  may  not  seek  happiness." 

279 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


He  hesitated,  his  dark  eyes  averted  from  her  lovely, 
petitioning  face. 

"  As  I  am  the  prince  of  a  doomed  race  and  a  soldier  of 
Xerxes,  I  may  not,  in  honor,  speak  with  you  longer,"  he  said 
at  last.  "  Let  me  take  you  at  once  to  the  palace." 

"  You  are  afraid,"  she  cried  scornfully.  "  You,  the 
Commander  of  the  Immortals?  " 

"  Yes,  Princess,"  he  answered  steadily.  "  I  am  afraid — 
for  you." 

Her  blue  eyes  blazed  upon  him,  the  eyes  of  the  imperious 
Achaemenian,  inherited  through  many  warrior  kings. 

"  Do  you  love  me?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  dare  not  answer  you,  daughter  of  Xerxes." 

She  turned  from  him  with  a  heart-broken  sigh  that  was 
half  a  sob.  "  I  am  ready,"  she  said  coldly;  "  but  you  must 
call  a  litter.  I  am  weary." 

He  looked  about  him  perplexedly. 

"  If  your  gracious  Highness  would  condescend  to  enter 
the  house  of  Matacas,  which  is  close  at  hand,  I  will  at  once 
cause  a  litter  to  be  fetched  from  the  palace." 

She  made  a  listless  gesture  of  assent,  and  he  knocked 
upon  the  door.  And  when  presently  Abihail  cautiously 
opened  the  peep-hole  in  the  portal,  he  explained  briefly  that 
a  noble  lady  with  her  maid  would  like  to  rest  within  while 
he  should  go  away  to  summon  litters. 

The  woman  hastened  to  open.  And  so  it  came  to  pass 
that  the  daughter  of  Xerxes  rested  in  the  cool  shadow  of 
the  fig  tree,  where  Esther  had  fed  her  doves  in  the  old  days. 
And  Nathan,  Prince  of  Edom,  beholding  her  there,  won 
dered,  even  while  his  heart  was  filled  with  memories,  sweet 
and  bitter,  that  it  should  be  so. 

Abihail  brought  her  guest  refreshment  in  a  silver  bowl; 
and  she  could  not  refrain  herself  from  foolish  boasting  in 
the  presence  of  the  Persian  lady  whose  fingers  sparkled 
so  with  jewels,  though  her  veil  and  mantle  were  of  coarse 

280 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


stuff,  and  about  whose  neck  hung  an  engraved  gem  of 
price. 

"  Fear  not  to  drink  from  the  cup,  gracious  lady,"  quoth 
the  old  woman,  "  for  I  may  assure  you  that  the  Queen's 
Majesty  hath  ofttimes  drunk  from  it.  Ay,  and  possets  of 
my  own  making  more  than  once." 

Amytis  lifted  her  heavy  eyes  to  the  woman's  face. 

"  You  are  babbling,  Jewess,"  she  said  haughtily.  "  How 
could  the  queen  drink  from  this  cup  ? — though  'tis  a  fair 
enough  example  of  the  silversmith's  art.  The  figures  about 
the  rim  speak  curious  stories." 

"  The  cup  is  of  ancient  Hebrew  workmanship,  noble 
lady,"  Abihail  said  proudly,  "  and  the  legend  is  that  of  Boaz 
and  the  Moabitess,  Ruth — she  who  left  the  land  of  her 
birth  to  follow  after  Naomi,  the  wife  of  Elimelech. 
Ay,  the  Queen's  Majesty  used  often  to  hear  the  story 
from  my  lips,  though  you  might  not  think  it  to  look  at 
me." 

The  daughter  of  Xerxes  was  looking  hard  at  the  woman 
now,  and  her  eyes  grew  suddenly  keen  and  searching.  "  This 
is  the  house  of  Matacas,  the  scribe,  is  it  not?  " 

The  woman  nodded  her  head  with  an  air  of  pride. 

"  To-day  he  was  king,"  she  chuckled.  "  With  my  own 
eyes  I  beheld  them  set  the  crown  upon  his  head  and  the  scep 
ter  in  his  hand.  Did  you  see  him,  noble  lady?" 

"  I  saw  him — yes :  but  tell  me,  did  Esther — did  the  queen 
ever  live  in  this  house?  " 

"  They  tell  me  everyone  in  the  palace  knows  that  she  is 
a  Hebrew,"  Abihail  said,  approaching  her  plump  face, 
creased  and  puckered  with  many  wrinkles,  close  to  that  of 
the  princess.  "  For  my  part  I  am  not  afraid  that  anyone 
should  know  the  truth,  especially  now  that  Mordecai  hath 
been  so  honored  of  the  king.  It  can  mean  but  one  thing, 
and  that  is  that  the  Great  King — may  he  live  forever — " 
and  Abihail  paused  to  perform  a  queer  genuflexion,  which 

281 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


caused  her  ample  figure  to  quiver — "  will  through  him  pres 
ently  set  aside  that  terrible  edict." 

"  And  Esther  lived  here,  and  drank  from  this  bowl  ?  " 

"  I  have  said  it,  and  it  is  true.  For  fifteen  years  I,  and 
I  alone,  served  the  queen,  as  I  now  serve  you." 

The  face  of  Amytis  grew  dark  as  she  glanced  about  the 
humble  place. 

"  Did  the  Prince  of  Edom  come  often  to  this  house  to 
see  her  ?  "  she  demanded. 

"  Who — Nathan  ?  Ah,  yes ;  you  may  well  believe  it, 
madame.  He  knew  and  loved  her  from  a  child.  Many  is 
the  time  I  have  seen  Hadassah  playing  about  this  very  court 
yard,  and  Nathan  studying  the  scrolls  of  the  Prophets  upon 
this  bench  of  olive  wood  where  you  are  sitting.  Ay,  those 
were  good  days!  But  now  they  have  taken  my  lamb  from 
me,  and  I  cannot  see  her  even  to  kiss  the  hem  of  her  gar 
ment.  The  wife  of  Haman  promised  me  that  much,  but 
when  I  went  yesterday  to  her  house  to  remind  her  of  her 
word  I  was  sent  away  with  ignominy." 

"The  wife  of  Haman?  Did  you  tell  that  woman  what 
you  have  told  me  ?  " 

"  She  questioned  me ;  yes.  But  she  declared  that  al 
ready  she  knew  all  and  more  than  I  could  tell  her." 

"  How  does  the  tongue  of  the  fool  ever  work  dire  mis 
chief,"  murmured  the  princess.  Aloud  she  said  severely: 

"  You  deserve  to  be  strangled  for  babbling  of  the  king's 
wife,  even  to  me.  But  you  must  shortly  suffer  the  penalty 
of  your  folly  with  those  whom  you  have  helped  to  ruin. 
Here  are  the  litters  at  last.  I  shall  be  glad  to  go.  Come, 
Pactya." 

The  Prince  of  Edom  walked  with  drawn  sword  behind 
the  litter  of  Amytis ;  and  once  he  fancied  he  heard  the  sound 
of  a  smothered  sob  from  behind  the  silken  curtains. 

And  so  presently  the  two  litters,  borne  by  stout  Nubians 
and  guarded  by  the  Commander  of  the  Immortals,  ap- 

282 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


proached  the  palace  on  its  western  side,  and  were  borne  up 
a  staircase  little  used  save  for  the  incoming  of  the  vast  sup 
plies  daily  required  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  thousands 
resident  in  the  royal  palaces.  Within  the  hour  the  princess 
was  set  down  unharmed  in  her  own  house,  to  be  told  by  her 
frightened  and  weeping  women  that  her  royal  father  had 
thrice  sent  for  her,  and  that  further  delay  meant  undoubted 
ruin. 

"  I  will  go  to  Xerxes  as  I  am,"  declared  Amytis;  "  for 
I  must  tell  him  what  I  have  done." 


19 


XXXI 


ATHISTAN,  Prince  of  Ecbatana,  was  a 
man  who  had  been  seldom  denied  or  con 
tradicted  during  the  course  of  a  life  whose 
exact  duration  was  known  only  to  the  scribes 
who  kept  the  births  and  deaths  of  titled  per 
sonages.  He  had  figured  in  many  wars  and 
had  won  distinction  in  none,  yet  because  he  was  the  hered 
itary  Prince  of  Ecbatana,  descended  from  Astyages,  King  of 
Media,  he  had  ventured  to  demand  the  hand  of  Amytis, 
daughter  of  Xerxes;  and  he  had  come  with  all  haste  at 
the  king's  bidding  to  claim  his  bride.  The  alliance,  he  con 
ceived,  might  serve  to  strengthen  his  pretensions  to  the  throne 
of  Media  and  Persia,  should  the  eagerly  sought  opportunity 
of  overthrowing  the  usurping  Achaemenian  dynasty  arise. 

In  person  Mathistan  was  short  and  stout,  and  his  broad, 
swart  face,  half  covered  by  a  perfumed  and  ringleted  beard, 
which  yet  failed  to  hide  a  weak  and  sensual  mouth,  his  thick 
neck,  and  the  small  fierce  eyes  which  rolled  dully  under 
bushy  brows  did  not  commend  him  to  the  favor  of  fair 

284 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


women.  This  circumstance,  however,  had  not  up  to  the 
present  time  been  of  the  least  moment  to  the  prince.  To 
behold  a  woman,  to  languidly  desire  her,  and  to  place  her 
in  that  portion  of  his  well-guarded  palace  devoted  to  his 
wives,  had  been  the  easy  programme  hitherto  practiced  by  this 
Median  despot.  For  the  reception  of  Amytis  he  had  pre 
pared  somewhat  more  carefully.  The  daughter  of  Xerxes 
was  to  be  the  princess  paramount,  before  whom  all  lesser 
favorites  must  bow  the  knee.  He  had  therefore  caused  cer 
tain  apartments  to  be  lavishly  beautified  with  gilding  and 
semi-precious  marbles,  and  he  had  brought  with  him  a  chest 
of  jewels,  inherited  from  the  ancient  Median  kings,  which 
he  intended  to  bestow  upon  the  princess,  once  she  was  his. 

He  had  already  held  audience  with  his  bride  elect — 
once,  twice;  on  each  occasion  the  interview  taking  place  in 
the  presence  of  the  king.  And  though  the  princess  had 
looked  coldly  enough  upon  her  royal  suitor,  he  was  conscious 
of  an  agreeable  sentiment  of  admiration  for  the  beautiful 
young  girl,  which  he  felt  might  shortly  warm  into  a  genuine 
passion.  On  the  day  set  for  his  espousals  he  had  presented 
himself  with  his  suite  at  the  royal  house,  for  the  purpose  of 
participating  in  the  preliminary  ceremonials,  which  always 
prefaced  a  royal  marriage. 

The  great  pillared  Hall  of  Audience  with  its  vast  sculp 
tured  portico  was  crowded  with  titled  personages  and  lesser 
courtiers  when  the  magnificent  figure  of  Mathistan,  sur 
rounded  by  his  retinue  of  Median  nobles,  appeared. 

The  Prince  of  Ecbatana  was  seen  to  be  garbed  in  the 
stately  robes  of  ceremony  formerly  used  by  the  Median  kings, 
and  still  affected  by  all  loyal  adherents  of  the  ancient  Susi- 
anian  dynasty,  which  in  secret  every  Median  subject  of  the 
Achaemenian  crown  hoped  might  yet  be  reestablished.  His 
slow  stride  scarce  disturbed  the  clusters  of  perpendicular 
folds  and  the  formal  festoons  of  his  robe,  fashioned  of  a  rich 
yet  semi-transparent  silken  stuff,  in  color  a  deep  purplish 

285 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


crimson  suggesting  the  purple  of  reigning  royalty.  Beneath 
this  distinctively  Median  garment,  far-famed  in  the  annals 
of  historians,  and  slavishly  copied  by  kings  and  potentates 
of  every  age,  showed  closely  fitted  garments  of  embroidered 
linen  stiff  with  pearls  and  thread  of  gold.  The  Median 
had  chosen  to  supplement  his  rather  insignificant  stature  with 
heeled  shoes  of  gilded  leather,  an  innovation  lately  introduced 
from  Egypt,  and  upon  his  head  towered  a  lofty  Kitaris  of 
stiffened  linen,  jeweled  and  cinctured  with  bands  of  tur 
quoise  and  pearl,  which  boldly  suggested  the  spotted  fillet 
of  blue  and  white,  sacred  to  the  Achaemenian  monarch  alone. 
Beneath  this  headdress  of  arrogant  suggestion,  the  Ecbatan- 
ian  prince  wore  an  ample  wig  of  reddish  hair  which  jutted 
out  behind  in  a  baglike  mass  of  close,  flattened  ringlets.  It 
was  further  observed  by  the  curious  who  had  assembled  from 
every  part  of  the  palace  that  the  aspirant  to  the  hand  of 
the  royal  Amytis  must  have  spent  many  hours  in  the  hands 
of  his  "  adorners,"  for  his  swart  skin  plainly  showed  the  lav 
ish  application  of  cosmetics,  while  his  brows  and  lashes  had 
been  as  skillfully  treated  with  the  famous  Babylonian  dyes 
in  order  to  increase  the  size  and  brilliancy  of  his  eyes.  For 
the  rest,  he  was  loaded  with  chains,  collars,  and  bracelets 
of  wrought  gold;  a  short  jeweled  sword,  scarce  larger  than 
a  dagger,  hung  from  the  broad  cincture  of  gold  about  his 
middle,  and  great  hoops  of  gold  depended  from  the  thick 
lobes  of  his  ears  and  hung  far  down  on  the  close  curled  beard. 
As  this  barbarically  splendid  figure  strutted  slowly  along, 
it  exhaled  the  mingled  perfumes  of  precious  nard  and  the 
costlier  unguents  of  Egypt. 

Within  the  chamber  of  audience,  with  its  many-colored 
pavement  of  precious  marbles,  its  light  wooden  pillars  plated 
with  gold,  and  its  brilliantly  colored  sculptures  and  draper 
ies,  were  gathered  such  persons  as  had  been  formerly  com 
manded  to  be  present,  all  magnificently  garbed,  all  hushed — 
expectant.  It  was  said  that  the  king  and  queen  would  pres- 

286 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


ently  emerge  from  the  curtained  doorway  to  the  left  of  the 
dais,  and  take  their  seats  upon  the  elevated  thrones  under  the 
canopy  of  gold  and  purple.  The  Princess  Amytis,  escorted 
by  noble  maidens,  would  then  emerge  from  the  door  to  the 
right,  and  pass  in  front  of  the  dais,  where  she  would  be 
met  by  the  bridegroom.  The  two  would  pass  out  from 
the  Hall  of  Audience  to  be  met  at  the  door  by  a  procession 
of  white-robed  Zoroastrian  priests  and  a  hundred  noble 
children  bearing  garlands  of  roses  and  myrtle  boughs,  and 
all  would  repair  to  the  altar  of  sacred  fire,  upon  the  steps 
of  which  two  white  horses  would  be  sacrificed  to  Ahura- 
Mazda  and  Armaati,  the  goddess  of  fertility,  whose  united 
blessing  could  alone  give  peace  and  the  assurance  of  wed 
ded  felicity.  The  hour  set  for  the  stately  ceremonial  was 
that  when  Mithra,  ascending  the  heavens,  pauses  halfway 
to  shed  beams  of  full  morning  into  all  dark  places  of  the 
earth.  No  other  hour  was  deemed  more  auspicious,  and 
both  day  and  hour  had  been  carefully  chosen  with  reference 
to  the  stars  governing  the  nativities  of  the  high  contracting 
parties. 

When  the  auspicious  hour  finally  arrived,  waxed,  then 
waned,  and  still  the  king  did  not  appear,  the  hush  of 
the  expectant  guests  was  broken  by  whispered  conjec 
ture  and  buzzing  inquiries.  It  was  rumored  that  the 
king  was  ill  or  dead;  and  when  this  was  promptly  dis 
proved,  it  became  known  in  the  mysterious  fashion  in  which 
winged  rumor  flies,  swift  as  light  from  mind  to  mind, 
that  the  princess  had  disappeared.  The  king's  eunuchs  de 
spatched  to  her  appartments  reported  that  she  had  left  the 
palace  in  the  early  morning  attended  by  a  single  woman-in- 
waiting;  and  no  one,  least  of  all  her  distracted  attendants, 
knew  whither  she  had  gone.  The  king  was  declared  to  have 
fallen  into  a  transport  of  mingled  rage  and  anxiety,  and  the 
expectant  bridegroom,  who  had  also  disappeared  from  pub 
lic  view,  threatened  dire  revenge,  it  was  whispered,  for  the 

287 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


insult  put  upon  him  and  the  powerful  half  of  the  kingdom 
which  he  represented.  A  herald  in  blue  and  silver  presently 
commanded  the  spectators  to  disperse,  in  the  name  of  the 
king.  And  this  they  finally  did,  amid  much  vain  conjecture 
as  to  what  was  passing  behind  the  curtained  doorways  of  the 
royal  house. 

When  Amytis,  still  appareled  in  the  coarse  blue  veil  and 
mantle  she  had  worn  in  her  bold  descent  into  the  city,  ap 
peared  before  her  royal  father,  his  attendants  trembled  lest 
he  should  straightway  strike  her  dead  with  his  own  hand. 

But  the  girl  approached  fearlessly,  apparently  quite  un- 
terrified  by  the  stern  looks  of  the  king. 

"  I  am  somewhat  late,  it  would  appear,"  she  observed 
calmly,  as  she  met  the  fierce  question  in  his  eyes. 

"  Late?  "  echoed  the  king.    "  What  mean  you,  girl?  " 

The  princess  made  a  disdainful  gesture  toward  the  crowd 
of  curious  persons  who  surrounded  the  monarch. 

"  Send  them  away,"  she  said  coldly.  "  What  I  have  to 
say,  I  will  say  to  you  alone,  my  father." 

"  On  the  contrary,  Princess,  you  will  say  before  them 
what  you  have  to  say  to  me.  Do  you  know  what  you  have 
done?" 

"  I  know — yes,  and  I  care  not  what  the  penalty  may  be. 
I  am  even  willing  to  die." 

There  was  a  mournful  cadence  in  the  girl's  voice,  a  des 
perate  sadness  in  her  eyes  which  pierced  the  cloud  of  the 
king's  displeasure  and  reached  the  father's  heart  beneath. 
He  waved  his  hand  impatiently  in  token  that  his  attendants 
withdraw  themselves  from  his  person. 

"  Now,  tell  me,  my  child,  why  did  you  not  come  at  my 
bidding  at  the  hour  and  in  the  manner  specified  ?  " 

"  Because,"  she  burst  out,  "  I  could  not  wed  the  Prince 
of  Ecbatana.  I  hate  and  loathe  him.  My  flesh  shudders  and 
cries  out  at  the  touch  of  his  hand,  the  glance  of  his  eye. 
And  to  be  his  wife — nay,  I  could  not." 

288 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


The  king  frowned.  "  But  I  had  commanded  it.  You 
have  forgotten,  it  seems,  what  it  cost  your  mother  to  dis 
obey  me." 

"  You  did  not  love  my  mother,"  the  girl  said  in  a  tone 
of  sad  conviction.  "  If  you  had  loved  her,  no  one  could  have 
persuaded  you  to  punish  her  as  you  did." 

"  Insolent  girl !  You  shall  suffer  for  this.  But  explain 
your  absence  from  the  palace  in  the  face  of  my  express  com 
mand." 

"  I  went  down  into  the  city,  and  craved  release  from  this 
hateful  marriage  with  Mathistan  from  the  Hebrew,  Mata- 
cas,  who  to-day  wears  your  robe  and  bears  the  scepter  of 
your  power." 

"  From  Matacas!  " 

"  From  no  other,  since  he  and  he  alone  could  help  me. 
My  marriage  to  the  Median  was  not  yet  a  decree,  and  this  I 
knew.  It  has  now  become  impossible,  since  I  have  obtained 
the  word  of  Matacas  that  it  shall  not  take  place." 

The  king  smote  his  knee  with  his  broad  palm  in  a  sud 
den  gust  of  anger. 

"  What  other  act  of  mine  did  the  bold  Jew  venture  to 
contravene?"  he  demanded. 

"  No  other,"  the  princess  told  him.  "  I  knelt  before  him 
in  the  dust  of  the  streets,  and  begged  the  lives  of  the  Jews 
from  him ;  but  he  refused." 

"  Refused  ?  Matacas  refused?  I  had  hoped  that  he 
might  do  something  to  save  himself  and  his  people." 

"  You  might  well  hope  for  this,  my  father ;  for  in  that 
sweeping  edict  of  destruction  is  involved  your  own  wife  and 
queen,  Esther." 

Xerxes  stared  at  his  daughter,  while  his  bronzed  face 
slowly  paled. 

"  She — is — "  he  gasped. 

Amytis  bowed  her  head.  "  The  queen  is  a  Hebrew," 
she  told  him,  "  and  of  close  kin  to  Matacas.  To-day  I 

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THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


saw  her  house,  and  even  drank  milk  from  her  cup,  at  the 
hands  of  an  ancient  serving  woman  with  an  indiscreet  tongue, 
which  Matacas  would  have  done  well  to  remove,  since  by 
means  of  it  Haman  learned  the  truth  many  moons  ago." 

The  king's  eyes  were  terrible  to  see. 

"  Again  I  have  been  tricked  and  dishonored,"  he  groaned, 
"  and  that  by  a  man  I  trusted  above  all  others.  Is  there 
no  one  true,  no  one  whose  heart  is  not  utterly  false  and 
corrupt?  " 

"  Yes,"  his  daughter  told  him,  a  proud  light  leaping  to 
her  eyes  and  a  brave  color  to  her  cheeks,  as  when  a  flag  is 
suddenly  unfurled,  "  there  are  two  such  men  in  your  king 
dom.  This  day  I  have  proved  them." 

"Who  are  they?" 

"  The  two  men  who  refused  to  take  what  was  offered 
them  by  the  daughter  of  the  great  king — Matacas  and 
Nathan,  Prince  of  Edom.  Matacas  rejected  life,  honor, 
and  happiness,  when  he  refused  to  tamper  with  the  king's 
laws.  The  Prince  of  Edom  sacrificed  more:  for  he  refused 
me,  when  I  would  have  given  myself  to  him  utterly!  " 


XXXII 

HAT  same  day,  while  yet  the  king  held  con 
verse  with  his  maiden  daughter,  the  chief 
counselor,  Haman,  having  completed  the 
hateful  task  given  him  to  perform  by  his 
master,  went  to  his  own  house.  He  went 
ashamed  and  humiliated,  for  his  ears  yet 
rang  with  the  gibes  of  the  multitude,  many  of  whom  had  be 
held  the  building  of  the  lofty  gibbet  in  the  square  before  his 
house.  And  as  he  went  he  gnawed  his  bitten  lips  with  curses. 
The  Princess  Zarara  met  him  on  the  portico  of  the  pal 
ace,  her  dark  eyes  alive  with  terrified  questionings. 

He  gnashed  upon  her  with  his  teeth  like  some  savage 
animal. 

"  Why  did  you  advise  me  to  go  to  the  king  last  night," 
he  cried  violently.  "  But  for  you,  I  might  have  slain  Mata- 
cas  by  stealth,  as  he  passed  through  the  streets.  A  sword- 
thrust  in  the  dark,  and  the  swine  would  have  troubled  me 
no  more!  " 

"  Did  not  Matacas  seek  revenge  upon  you,  while  yet  he 
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THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


held  the  scepter?     I — I  feared  lest  you  might  not  return 
alive." 

Haman  stared  at  the  woman,  his  heavy  jaws  agape.  For 
an  instant  the  thought  of  his  enemy's  rare  generosity  and 
the  lofty  magnanimity  of  his  conduct  struggled  with  the 
black  hatred  which  had  come  to  possess  his  whole  nature. 
Then  he  laughed  contemptuously. 

"  He  durst  not  lay  hands  upon  me,  the  king's  favorite," 
quoth  he,  with  an  oath.  "  I  could  have  strangled  him  with 
these  naked  hands." 

Zarara  clung  to  him  in  a  sudden  passion  of  foreboding. 

"  You  might  better  have  fallen  upon  your  knees  before 
the  Jew  and  entreated  his  forbearance,"  she  murmured. 
"  But  now,  alas !  I  fear  it  is  too  late." 

"Too  late?  Ay,  too  late  to  see  the  Jew's  foul  body 
dangle  from  our  tree  of  death  to-day,  my  beauty;  but  not 
too  late  for  my  revenge!  You  shall  see.  This  day  I  am 
again  invited  to  banquet  with  the  great  king  and  with  Queen 
Esther.  And  look  you,  woman;  I  have  thought  much  con 
cerning  this  strange  action  of  the  queen's.  '  Why,'  I  asked 
myself,  '  does  she  come,  at  very  risk  of  her  life,  to  crave 
my  presence  at  a  banquet  ?  '  Why  ?  The  answer  is  clear 
as  the  noonday  beams  of  Mithra;  the  woman  fears  me, 
the  great  Haman.  She  would  fain  beg  her  life  at  my  hands 
when  the  day  comes,  the  day  of  my  wrath,  when  a  crimson 
death  shall  work  my  pleasure  on  the  Jews.  Shall  I  save 
her,  this  bold  Hebrew  woman  who  has  dared  to  steal  the 
crown?  What  say  you,  my  Zarara?  " 

But  Zarara  appeared  half  paralyzed  with  some  unknown 
and  as  yet  unseen  terror. 

"  I — I  dreamed  a  dream  this  day,"  she  faltered  with 
stiffened  lips.  "  A  frightful  dream  of  woe.  And  I  am 
afraid." 

"A  dream,  a  wild,  foolish  dream?  Nay,  all  our  dreams 
are  but  shadows." 

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THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


"  Shadows — yes ;  but  shadows  of  something  vast,  terrible, 
which  looms  unseen  in  the  near  future.  Listen !  I  dreamed 
of  our  gibbet  yonder,  the  tree  of  death  which  towers  fifty 
cubits  into  the  air.  Know  you  that  it  looks  in  at  the  win 
dows  of  the  chamber  where  sleep  our  sons?" 

"  Nay ;  I  thought  nothing  of  it.  But  it  matters  not.  So 
will  I  teach  my  sons  how  to  avenge  insult  and  contumely. 
The  lion's  cubs  must  ever  learn  to  devour  the  lion's  prey. 
But  what  of  your  dream,  woman  ?  " 

"  I  saw  it — our  terrible  tree — laden  with  the  fruit  of 
death.  High  was  it;  so  high  that  the  bulging  eyes  of  the 
dying  man  looked  into  mine,  as  I  stood  with  my  sons  upon 
the  roof  of  our  palace.  But  the  face  was — great  Ormazd 
forbid — the  face  was  your  own !  " 

"  Faugh !  You  disgust  me  with  your  insane  vaporing, 
woman.  Already  I  have  suffered  enough  in  the  rage  which 
consumed  me  as  I  toiled  on  foot  through  the  dust  of  the 
streets.  Is  there  no  wine  with  which  to  quench  my  thirst  ?  " 

"  The  wine  is  here,  my  lord." 

Haman  raised  the  cup  to  his  lips;  then  dashed  it  to  the 
earth. 

"  This  is  no  wine !  "  he  howled.  "  It  is  blood,  and  you 
have  given  it  to  me  to  drink!  Blood — and  I  cannot 
drink  it!" 

The  contents  of  the  fallen  cup  splashed  upon  the  white 
robe  of  Zarara;  and  she  stood,  stiffened  with  stark  terror, 
staring  at  the  spreading  crimson. 

"  It  is  an  omen !  "  she  whispered  with  dry  lips.  "  Be 
warned  and  fly  while  there  is  yet  time !  For  so  will  the 
blood  of  the  Jews  be  snatched  from  your  thirsting  lips  and 
fall  upon  me — upon  me !  " 

The  words  ended  in  a  long,  quavering  shriek,  and  the 
woman  tottered  and  fell,  a  huddled  shape  at  his  feet. 

Haman  stared  at  her  dully  for  an  instant. 

"  She  is  but  a  weak  fool,  after  all,"  he  muttered,  as  he 
293 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


stirred  the  limp  body  with  his  foot,  "  and  no  fit  mate  for 
one  whom  the  fates  have  chosen  for  lofty  distinction.  I 
will  yet  take  the  queen  in  the  palace  yonder  to  wife." 

He  called  Zarara's  women  presently,  and  they  bore  her 
away  to  her  chamber,  where  she  lay  silently  awaiting  the 
slow  approach  of  the  event  whose  icy  shadow  already  lay 
heavy  upon  her. 

Once  only  she  spoke  to  the  women. 

"  Where,"  she  asked,  "  is  my  husband  ?  " 

"  He  has  gone  forth,"  they  told  her,  "  to  banquet  with 
the  queen  and  the  King's  Majesty." 

"  Did  he  first  ask  how  I  fared  ?  " 

And  her  women  answered  with  many  smooth  and  lying 
words  that  the  great  Haman  had  sent  one  of  his  servants  to 
ask  after  the  health  of  the  princess,  and  that  he  was  rejoiced 
to  learn  of  her  recovery  from  the  swoon  which  had  so  sud 
denly  afflicted  her. 

She  resolutely  closed  eyes  and  lips  after  that,  and  lay 
like  one  tormented  by  unseen  fires,  while  the  fateful  hours 
passed,  minute  by  minute. 


XXXIII 

STHER,  the  queen,  was  alone  in  the  small 
chamber  which  she  had  chosen  for  her  morn 
ing  and  evening  devotions.  The  room  was 
built  entirely  of  white  marble,  and  nothing 
marred  the  flowerlike  purity  of  walls  or 
floor ;  toward  the  east  a  single  wide  window 
opened  outward,  and  since  the  queen's  house  stood  near  the 
verge  of  the  lofty  platform  upon  which  the  many  palaces 
were  built,  this  window  showed  nothing  to  the  kneeling 
woman  within  save  a  wide  expanse  of  sky,  and  the  dim  hori 
zon,  where  serrated  peaks  of  purple  arose  to  meet  the  softer 
tints  of  the  bending  heavens. 

Esther  had  learned  to  love  the  broad  expanse  of  sky, 
where  in  the  late  autumn  months  occasional  swift  showers 
hurried  past  to  be  dissipated  again  in  the  warm  sunlight, 
which  appeared  to  her  like  the  smile  of  God  as  it  rested 
upon  the  lowly  earth. 

The  queen  spent  many  hours  alone  in  this  quiet  room, 
for  here  she  could  think  the  deep,  still  thoughts  which 

295 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


calmed  and  soothed  her,  and  kept  her  from  the  fret  of  the 
feverish  life  which  beat  just  outside  the  door.  To-day  she 
knelt  longer  than  her  wont  by  the  open  window,  her  lips 
moving  in  timid  petitions  for  a  strength  and  courage  which 
she  knew  she  must  have  in  the  hours  to  come.  On  this  day 
the  king  and  Haman  would  again  come  to  the  banquet  which 
slaves  were  preparing  in  the  pavilion  of  the  garden. 

She  had  bidden  her  tire-women  make  her  beautiful;  for 
even  her  beauty,  she  knew,  must  tell  to-day  in  the  struggle 
for  a  nation's  life.  They  had  clothed  the  queen  all  in  white, 
above  which  a  robe  of  transparent  cloth  of  gold  from  the 
looms  of  Babylon  fell  like  pale  sunshine.  About  her  brows 
was  bound  a  band  of  dull  gold,  and  from  beneath  it  fell 
the  rich  masses  of  her  hair  starred  here  and  there  with  pearls. 
About  her  throat,  and  hanging  far  down  upon  the  whiteness 
of  her  robe,  ropes  and  clusters  of  the  rare  pink  pearls  of 
Sidon  gleamed  like  sun-kissed  snow  upon  distant  Lauristan. 
She  was  indeed  very  beautiful  in  her  queenly  robes,  and  she 
humbly  thanked  Jehovah  for  her  beauty,  and  for  the  re 
turning  happiness  which  she  scarce  dared  to  clasp  too  close, 
lest  it  again  elude  her  grasp.  The  king  himself  had  sent 
her  the  rose-colored  pearls  that  morning,  and  she  raised  the 
strands  to  her  lips,  as  she  besought  Jehovah  to  purify  her 
utterly  from  all  false  and  unworthy  thoughts,  and  to  give 
to  her  peace  and  courage  wherewith  to  speak  to  her  husband 
of  all  that  was  in  her  heart. 

The  queen  arose  from  her  devotions  after  a  space,  and 
with  one  last,  lingering  look  at  the  wide  plains,  the  wider 
sky,  and  the  purple  peaks  at  the  far  horizon's  rim,  passed 
out  into  the  garden,  where  she  spent  many  hours  each  day, 
and  where  the  summer  yet  lingered  in  rose-embowered  walks 
and  lilied  pools.  Before  long,  she  knew,  the  court  would 
journey  to  the  south,  where  the  winter  would  be  passed  in 
the  softer  climate  of  Babylon.  Meanwhile,  the  terrible 
twelfth  month  was  steadily  approaching  along  its  long  avenu** 

296 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


of  days.  It  would  loom  close;  it  would  dawn  at  last  in  all 
its  terror!  How  could  the  crushing  blow  of  the  edict  be 
avoided  ?  How  were  the  carnage  and  ruin  to  be  hindered  ? 
The  king  might  indeed  protect  her  from  the  swords  of  the 
assassins;  she  would  also  ask  for  Mordecai  and  Nathan. 
But  her  heart,  so  lately  strengthened  and  calmed  by  devo 
tion,  again  failed  her  as  she  thought  that  Xerxes  might  well 
be  angry  with  her  for  the  long  deception  which  had  been 
practiced  upon  him. 

She  bent  over  a  half-opened  rose  to  inhale  its  fragrance, 
scarce  knowing  what  she  did. 

"  If  only  I  might  have  told  him  at  the  first,"  she  was 
thinking,  and  the  white  rose  was  not  whiter  than  her  cheek. 

She  became  aware  presently  of  the  approach  of  a  slight, 
girlish  figure  veiled  in  blue.  It  was  not  one  of  her  own 
women,  she  knew;  and  a  slight  feeling  of  anger  caused  her 
to  draw  her  black  brows  together,  as  she  stood  at  her  full 
height,  watching  the  girl  step  boldly  across  the  flower  beds, 
treading  down  more  than  one  choice  exotic  in  her  haste. 

"  You  did  not  know  me,"  said  the  girl,  casting  aside  her 
veil ;  "  but  I  must  tell  you  at  once  what  nearly  concerns 
you." 

Esther  held  out  her  hand  without  speaking,  and  Amytis 
perceived  that  she  trembled  violently. 

"You  are  frightened,  Queen;  and  I  cannot  find  it  in 
my  heart  to  pity  you  overmuch.  Why  did  you  deceive  my 
father  into  thinking  you  a  princess  of  Babylon,  when  you 
were  of  the  Hebrew  race?  Did  you  not  know  that  he  de 
spises  a  liar  above  all  base  persons?" 

The  queen's  beautiful  head  hung  to  one  side  like  a  flower 
whose  stalk  has  been  rudely  broken. 

"  I — I  did  not  willingly  deceive  the  king,"  she  whispered. 
"  I  would  have  told  him  all,  but  I  was  forbidden." 

Amytis's  blue  eyes  flashed  scorn  upon  the  queen. 

*'  Forbidden — nay,  who  should  forbid  the  wife  of  Xerxes 
297 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


anything?  You  are  no  queen  of  Persia  and  Media  if  anyone 
save  the  king  may  dictate  speech  or  silence." 

Esther  was  silent  for  a  space;  then  she  lifted  her  head 
proudly. 

"  You  have  spoken  the  truth,  Princess,"  she  said  quietly, 
"  and  right  bitterly  have  I  repented  my  obedience.  I  should 
have  disobeyed  Mordecai." 

"  Of  what  kin  is  the  scribe  to  you?  "  demanded  Amytis, 
staring  hard  at  the  lovely  figure  of  woe  which  the  queen  in 
her  rich  robes  and  flashing  jewels  presented. 

"  He  is  the  son  of  my  father's  brother,"  Esther  made 
answer,  and  again  she  hung  her  head,  and  her  eyes  filled  with 
slow-gathering  tears.  "  He  took  me  a  feeble  babe,  from  the 
arms  of  my  dying  mother,  and  always  he  has  loved  me  and 
protected  me  even  as  a  father.  I  loved  him  as  a  daughter, 
and  as  a  daughter  I  gave  him  my  obedience." 

"  And  he  forbade  you  to  speak  to  the  king  of  your  par 
entage?  But  I  cannot  understand.  Are  you  the  child  of  a 
slave,  or  baseborn,  that  he  should  do  this  thing?" 

The  queen  drew  her  slight  figure  to  its  full  height  as 
she  cast  a  look  full  of  displeasure  at  the  girl. 

"  I  am  of  the  royal  line,"  she  said  proudly,  "  descended 
from  the  kings  of  Judah." 

"  Why  did  not  Mordecai  so  represent  you  ?  " 

"We  were  Hebrews;  and  he  feared  the  king." 

Amytis  stamped  her  small  foot  upon  the  ground.  :<  That 
is  always  the  way,"  she  said.  "  Everyone  fears  and  cringes 
before  my  father.  Yet  only  the  coward,  the  liar,  the  cheat, 
need  tremble  in  his  presence.  He  is  truth  itself,  and  more 
merciful  than  most  kings,  even  in  his  wrath.  But  I  may  not 
tarry.  I  came  here  to  tell  you  that  the  king  already  knows 
all." 

"The  king— knows?" 

"  I  myself  informed  him  that  you  are  of  the  Hebrew  race. 
Hainan,  as  everyone  is  aware,  hates  and  despises  Matacas; 

298 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


but  I  suspect  that  his  poisoned  dart  was  aimed  higher  and 
by  another  hand.  But  of  that  I  may  not  speak;  only  when 
the  king  and  Haman  come  to  your  banquet  to-day,  do  not 
whine  and  cry  and  beg  for  your  life  like  a  scourged  slave. 
But  demand  it  boldly,  and  do  not  be  afraid  to  denounce 
Haman  to  the  king." 

Esther's  dark  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  imperious  face  of 
the  princess.  She  fancied  she  could  read  there  the  loved 
lineaments  of  the  girl's  father. 

"  But  the  king  will  be  very  angry  with  me,"  she  said 
simply. 

"No;  he  will  not.  He  will  understand,  even  though 
I  cannot.  And  he  will  forgive  you  for  all  your  foolish  deceit 
and  for  your  fear  of  him.  I  think  I  should  divorce  you 
and  marry  a  warrior-queen,  were  I  Xerxes;  but  he  has  a 
strange  liking  for  weak,  silly  women  like  you." 

The  rude  words  of  the  princess  appeared  to  act  like  a 
tonic  upon  the  despondent  queen.  She  took  a  sudden  step 
toward  the  bold  speaker  with  an  angry  exclamation. 

"  How  dare  you  address  me  in  that  manner?"  she  de 
manded.  "  You  forget  that  I  am  the  queen!  " 

Amytis  burst  into  a  tinkling  laugh. 

"  Nay,  it  was  you  who  had  forgotten,  gracious  Majesty, 
and  I  wished  to  bring  your  royal  estate  more  clearly  to 
your  mind.  You  are  the  queen.  Act  the  queen,  and  tear 
your  insolent  enemies  from  their  high  places.  And  hark 
you,  Haman  will  weep  and  howl  and  grovel  before  you,  for 
he  is  a  coward  and  no  man.  Of  this  I  warn  you;  do  not 
show  him  any  mercy,  for  he  would  to-day  have  hung  Mata- 
cas  upon  a  gallows  to  be  the  derision  of  the  city.  You  did 
not  know  it  ?  Well,  you  should  have  known  it.  Your  slaves 
and  women  knew  it — every  one.  A  great  queen  may  not 
hide  herself  in  a  closed  garden  like  a  sucking  dove.  She 
must  have  eyes  and  ears  everywhere,  as  does  my  grand 
mother,  Queen  Atossa." 

20  299 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


"  Nay,  I  will  not  soil  my  mind  with  all  that  eyes  and 
ears  may  see  and  hear  in  the  palace,"  Esther  said  proudly. 
"  Jehovah  will  protect  me  from  my  enemies.  I  trust  in 
him!" 

The  princess  shrugged  her  slim  shoulders. 

"  I  also  am  a  believer  in  the  All- Wise,"  she  said  crisply. 
"  But  there  are  serpents  as  well  as  doves  in  the  world,  and 
perchance  we  are  expected  to  emulate  both.  Be  innocent; 
but  be  wise  also.  Pray  to  your  Jehovah  all  that  you  will; 
but  command  trusted  servants  of  yours  to  observe  what 
your  enemies  are  doing  while  you  pray." 

Esther  shook  her  head. 

.  .  "  Nay,  I  do  not  wish  to  know  if  I  have  enemies,"  she 
said,  and  again  her  tone  of  childlike  simplicity  and  candor 
caused  the  princess  to  stare  in  amused  astonishment. 

Amytis  breathed  a  laugh  which  was  yet  half  a  sigh. 

"  You  are  a  strange  woman,"  she  said  at  last.  "  Some 
times  I  think  you  are  more  simple  and  foolish  than  a  little 
child ;  and  again  I  doubt  if  you  are  not  wiser  than  the  wisest 
sage.  Perchance  'tis  your  mingled  innocence  and  wisdom 
that  charms  the  king.  Nevertheless,  remember  what  I  have 
told  you.  Be  fearless,  truthful,  merciless!" 

With  this  parting  word  of  advice,  the  princess  wrapped 
her  veil  about  her  as  if  to  depart. 

"  Farewell,  Queen,"  she  said,  "  and  may  the  gods  of 
Persia  as  well  as  those  of  your  own  land  be  kind  to  you." 

Then  she  suddenly  approached  her  face  quite  close  to 
that  of  the  queen. 

"  Tell  me  truly,"  she  said,  and  her  blue  eyes  brimmed 
with  hot  tears;  "  do  you  love  Nathan?  Do  not  be  afraid  to 
tell  me  the  truth.  I  must — must  know  it !  " 

Esther  gazed  at  the  girl  in  astonishment. 

"  I  do  not  understand,"  she  stammered.  "  Once  before 
you  questioned  me  of  this  matter,  and  I  told  jipu  I  had 
known  the  Prince  of  Edom  in  my  youth." 

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"  But  to-day,  Queen,  I  was  in  the  house  of  Matacas, 
and  the  woman  there  told  me  that  he  loved  you.  And  I, 
most  miserable  of  women,  love  him,  and  because  I  love  him 
I  could  kill  you  for  being  so  beautiful.  /  hate  you!  " 

Esther  reached  out  and  drew  the  girl  into  her  arms. 

"  Nay,  do  not  hate  me  because  you  love  him,"  she  said 
tenderly.  "  You  must  the  rather  love  me  because  I  am  even 
as  his  sister,  the  daughter  of  his  mother.  He  is  a  brave  and 
good  man,  and  guileless  of  all  evil.  Love  him  purely,  and 
he  will  love  you." 

And  the  princess,  willing  to  be  comforted,  rested  her 
bright  head  upon  the  breast  of  the  queen,  and  sobbed  out 
all  her  heart  there. 

"  If  it  be  possible,"  she  entreated,  "  speak  to  the  king  of 
me;  for  verily  I  would  choose  to  die  with  the  Hebrew 
Prince  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  Adar,  rather  than  be  wed 
to  any  other." 

And  this  word  of  the  daughter  of  Xerxes  was  destined 
to  be  remembered,  for  in  it  was  a  wild  prophecy  of  things 
yet  to  be. 

While  the  women  yet  talked  together,  there  came  a 
eunuch  to  tell  the  queen  that  the  honorable  Prince  Haman 
was  already  arrived  and  craved  immediate  speech  with  the 
Queen's  Majesty. 

"  I  will  not  receive  the  man,"  said  Esther,  "  for  the  hour 
is  not  yet,  and  the  king  tarries." 

"  Nay,  go,"  Amytis  bade  her.  "  Let  the  man  speak  what 
is  in  his  mind.  But  do  you  betray  nothing  of  all  that  I 
have  told  you.  So  you  will  be  able  the  more  completely  to 
overthrow  him  when  the  moment  appointed  of  the  gods 
is  come." 

So  Queen  Esther  received  Haman,  the  Prince  of  Agag, 
in  her  house ;  and  the  magnificent  one,  observing  traces  of 
tears  in  her  beautiful  eyes,  felt  wickedly  sure  of  his  prey; 
yet,  as  an  eagle  hovers  high  in  air,  staring  hungrily  at  its 

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THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


quarry,  so  did  Haman  gloat  over  the  beauty  of  the  queen 
and  over  her  utter  helplessness,  also.  He  would  indeed  save 
the  life  of  this  queen,  for  she  was  unlike  any  other  woman 
in  the  world  in  her  loveliness.  And  he  would  carry  her 
away  to  a  certain  wild  fortress  in  the  mountains  where  she 
would  be  his  to  do  with  as  he  liked. 

Esther  shrank  under  his  evil  gaze,  for  in  all  her  purity 
she  felt  his  vileness,  and  as  an  angel  turns  away,  sickened 
by  the  foul  emanations  of  the  polluted  soul  it  would  fain 
save,  she  averted  her  eyes,  murmuring  vague  words  of 
greeting. 

"  I  had  thought,"  she  said,  "  that  Haman  would  come 
in  the  train  of  the  king." 

"  Not  so,  most  beautiful  of  all  queens,  I  came  purposely 
before  the  hour,  that  I  might  speak  with  you  of  that  which 
has  caused  tears  to  flow  from  your  lovely  eyes." 

Esther's  queenly  figure  seemed  to  grow  taller,  as  she 
looked  at  the  man. 

"  You  are  overbold  in  your  speech,  Prince,"  she  said 
coldly. 

"  Nay,  sweet  Queen ;  I  am  at  once  the  boldest  and  the 
humblest  of  those  who  serve  you.  But  serve  you  I  would 
with  my  life." 

"  If  it  is  for  such  empty  words  as  these  you  craved  pri 
vate  audience  with  me,"  said  Esther,  her  tones  plainly  re 
vealing  her  growing  displeasure,  "  I  may  tell  you  that  the 
fealty  of  subjects  is  nothing  less  than  my  right  as  the  queen 
consort  of  Xerxes." 

Haman  leered  his  admiration  of  her,  as  he  bowed  his 
great,  glittering  bulk  almost  to  the  ground. 

"  You  are  as  unflinching  in  the  face  of  desperate  odds 
as  you  are  beautiful,  O  Queen,"  quoth  he ;  "  and  by  the 
nine  attributes  of  Ormazd,  I  but  love  you  the  better  for 
it!" 

Esther  grew  pale  to  the  lips  at  this  insolent  declaration. 
302 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  I  see  you  are  afraid  of  me,  beautiful  Hebrew,"  mut 
tered  Haman,  with  an  evil  smile.  "  And  well  you  may  be, 
woman,  for  even  now  the  sword  is  at  your  breast.  But  I 
am  all  powerful,  and  I  hold  your  life  in  my  hand  to  give 
or  to  withhold.  I  will  give  it  you  for  one  small  mark  of 
your  royal  favor.  Will  you  take  it  from  me,  Queen,  at  my 


price 


Esther  forced  her  stiffened  lips  to  make  reply. 

"  What  is  the  price  you  would  ask  of  me  in  exchange  for 
my  life  ? "  she  asked,  her  eyes  blazing  strange,  fearsome 
lightnings  upon  the  man  as  he  bowed  and  grimaced  before 
her. 

He  put  out  his  great  hand  as  if  to  seize  her;  but  she 
eluded  him  with  a  lithe  movement  of  her  slim  body. 

"  Hah!  I  see  that  you  do  not  yet  understand  me,  lovely 
Queen.  But  you  are  aware  of  the  edict  of  Xerxes  con 
cerning  the  Hebrews?" 

Esther's  mute  lips  formed  the  words  of  assent. 

"  And  you  dare  not  deny  to  me  that  you  are  a  Hebrew. 
Nay,  Queen,  I  have  all  the  proofs.  You  are  of  close  kin 
to  the  swine,  Matacas,  who  will  to-morrow  hang  dead  in 
chains  before  my  palace.  You  also  are  mine,  and  you  cannot 
escape  except  as  I  open  before  you  the  door  of  deliverance. 
You  are  hoping  that  the  king  will  save  you.  But  he  will 
not.  He  cannot.  He  is  bound  hand  and  foot  with  the  iron 
of  his  own  law.  Did  he  save  his  former  queen,  Amestris, 
from  the  decree  of  divorce  which  he  made  in  his  cups?  You 
know  the  event  which  made  you  queen  in  her  stead.  Even 
so  will  another  wear  your  crown  and  your  robes  of  state. 
Beautiful  women  are  not  hard  to  come  by.  Xerxes  has  but 
to  speak  the  word,  and  they  flock  to  his  call  like  doves  from 
every  part  of  his  vast  dominions." 

"  Leave  me,  base  creature !  "  gasped  Esther.  "  I  will  not 
listen  to  you  further." 

"  Not  so,  sweet  Queen,  I  must  say  all  now  that  the 
303 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


hour  is  propitious.  And  be  calm,  I  entreat  you;  the  king 
does  not  know  that  you  are  a  Hebrew.  I  have  purposely 
kept  the  truth  from  him.  And  I  will  keep  it,  even  to  the 
day  when  there  shall  be  a  sword  for  every  Hebrew  breast — 
your  own,  also.  The  word  has  gone  forth;  and  no  one 
can  save  you,  if  I  save  you  not.  But  hark  you,  I  will  pre 
serve  you  because  you  are  beautiful  and  because  I  desire 
you.  I  have  an  estate  in  the  far  Zagros  mountains,  where 
you  shall  dwell  in  such  luxury  as  even  a  queen  may  envy. 
When  the  day  arrives,  I  will  bribe  your  eunuchs  to  deliver 
a  veiled  and  gagged  slave  clad  in  your  royal  robes  to  the 
swords  of  the  executioners;  but  you  shall  escape  in  a  way 
which  I  shall  provide." 

Esther's  dark  eyes  had  become  consuming  fires  of  wrath. 

"  Stop!  "  she  cried.  "  I  spurn  your  vile  offers!  Sooner 
would  I  die  a  thousand  deaths  of  torture  than  to  accept  the 
life  of  my  poor  body  upon  such  terms.  Go;  you  pollute 
my  ears !  " 

Haman  laughed  aloud ;  a  dreadful  sound,  it  smote  upon 
the  shuddering  ears  of  the  pallid  queen. 

"  I  am  bidden  to  banquet  with  the  king  this  day ;  and  I 
shall  banquet  with  the  king,"  he  said  loudly.  "  And  I  will 
even  forgive  you,  my  Esther,  for  your  unthinking  words. 
Nay,  you  are  but  the  more  beautiful  in  your  anger.  I  am 
well  accustomed  to  the  ways  of  women,  and  I  fear  not  the 
lightning  of  your  eyes  nor  the  sting  of  your  words.  You 
will  think  of  what  I  have  said  to  you,  as  the  dreadful  days 
creep  on,  and  you  will  send  me  word.  One  word  will 
secure  to  you  life,  safety,  and  such  happiness  as  I  alone 
can  give  you.  Come,  sweet  Queen,  you  are  not  angry  with 
me?" 

"Hist!"  she  murmured;  "hear  you  not  the  sound  of 
many  feet  ?  The  king  is  at  hand !  " 

Haman  stared  in  angry  astonishment;  of  a  sudden  the 
queen's  face  had  become  suffused  with  a  glorious  rose;  her 

304 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


eyes  softened  and  grew  even  more  large  and  beautiful;  her 
whole  figure  appeared  to  dilate,  so  that  she  seemed  some 
lovely  being  from  another  world,  whose  light  feet  touch  not 
the  sordid  earth,  but  float  above  it. 

"The  king,"  she  repeated,  "is  at  hand!" 


XXXIV 


ERXES  entered  the  queen's  audience  cham 
ber  with  all  the  pomp  and  circumstance 
befitting  the  greatest  of  monarchs;  his  eyes 
— the  imperious  blue  eyes  of  the  conquer 
ing  Cyrus,  handed  down  to  this  ruler  of 
a  decadent  empire,  with  the  frank  im 
petuous  nature  which  scorned  deceit — searching  for  his 
wife. 

She  came  forward  to  meet  him  in  the  splendor  of  her 
young  beauty,  and  bowed  before  him,  till  he  put  forth  his 
hand  to  raise  her. 

"  Nay,  not  even-  to  me  must  the  queen  of  the  world 
abase  her  proud  head.  My  Esther,  I  salute  you!  " 

He  stooped  and  pressed  his  lips  to  her  white  fingers. 
"Ha!  Haman;  what  do  you  here  before  me?     Or  do 
I   mistake   in   thinking   myself   the   guest  of  honor   at   this 
feast?" 

He  glanced  at  his  queen  with  a  questioning  look. 
"  The  great  Haman,"  said  Esther,  with  a  strange  smile, 
306 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  came  with  the  intent  of  proffering  me  a  valuable  gift. 
But  I  could  not  accept  it." 

"A  gift?  Haman  dared  offer  the  Queen  of  Persia  a 
gift?  And  what,  I.  ask  you,  counselor,  have  you  to  offer 
that  I  may  not  give  my  queen?  Know  you  not  that  to  no 
man  save  Xerxes  may  his  queen  and  wife  be  debtor?" 

Haman 's  small  eyes  rolled  wickedly  upon  the  queen  as 
he  made  meaning  answer. 

"  Yet  I  offered  her  Majesty  a  fair  gift,  and  one  which 
even  the  king  cannot  duplicate.  If  the  queen  elects  to  spurn 
it  and  the  giver,  I  can  but  grieve  as  I  bow  to  her  decree." 

"  Ay,  perhaps  you  must  needs  grieve,  my  Haman.  We 
will  hear  more  of  your  matter  when  we  have  dined." 

And  so  presently  all  three  were  reclined  upon  the  ivory 
couches  with  feet  of  gold,  which  had  been  provided  in  the 
queen's  house  when  first  Xerxes  had  lavished  upon  it  all 
his  royal  generosity.  And  before  them  was  spread  the  table, 
whereon  a  noiseless  train  of  servants  presently  set  the  viands 
in  due  order.  Behind  the  king  stood  his  "  taster,"  whose 
duty  it  was  to  eat  first  of  every  dish,  lest  poison  lurk  in  the 
food ;  and  beside  the  taster  stood  the  cup  bearer,  all  in  gold 
and  purple;  and  behind  these  two  high  officials — both  Me 
dian  nobles  of  high  rank — the  bearer  of  the  royal  fan  stirred 
the  languid  air  to  a  soft  breeze  with  skillful  motions  of  his 
huge  disk-shaped  implement,  made  of  the  dark  plumage  of 
the  eagle,  and  used  only  for  the  king.  The  queen  was  sim 
ilarly  attended ;  and  behind  the  place  of  Haman,  also,  stood 
persons  of  distinction,  ready  to  wait  upon  his  appetite  or  his 
thirst. 

The  arrogant  heart  of  the  chief  counselor  was  stirred 
with  fresh  ambitions  and  lustful  desires  as  he  looked  about 
on  the  magnificent  scene.  The  room  in  which  the  banquet 
was  served  was  not  the  same  as  on  the  previous  day,  he 
observed,  and  wondered  idly  why  this  should  be.  There 
was  a  curtained  doorway  on  the  right,  and  on  the  left  the 

307 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


space  between  the  slender  columns  of  precious  marbles  was 
draped  softly  with  hangings  of  Babylonian  tapestries  wrought 
with  lotus  flowers  in  a  dim  tracery  of  gold,  between  bands 
of  blue.  The  walls  were  faced  with  alternate  slabs  of  jade 
and  agate,  waist  high,  to  where  a  frieze  of  richly  colored 
sculptures  represented  the  king  in  a  triumphal  procession ; 
the  king  at  a  feast;  the  king  offering  sacrifices  before  one 
of  the  seven  great  shrines  of  the  sacred  fire;  the  king  re 
ceiving  a  deputation  of  foreign  satraps — always  and  every 
where  the  king.  The  heart  of  Haman  waxed  merry  as  he 
thought  how  he  would  shortly  erase  that  proud  image  from 
the  mind  of  the  beautiful  woman  who  reclined  so  near  him 
that  he  could  inhale  the  faint,  delicious  perfume  of  her  hair, 
as  the  cool  breeze  of  the  fans  swept  it.  Between  the  half- 
drawn  draperies  one  could  catch  glimpses  of  the  marble 
colonnade  without,  and  beyond,  brilliant  vistas  of  the  garden, 
still  glowing  with  flowers  and  sparkling  with  the  fountains 
the  queen  loved. 

Steadily  the  tide  of  gold,  silver,  and  crystal  dishes  flowed 
in  and  out,  as  noiseless  slaves  attended  the  table.  Now  gar 
lands  of  small  fragrant  roses  were  brought  and  placed  about 
the  brows  of  the  diners,  and  crowning  the  flagons  of  rare 
vintages  cooled  with  snow;  and  anon  there  stole  in  between 
the  parted  curtains  the  sound  of  stringed  instruments  and 
the  singing  of  melodious  voices  of  girls. 

The  king  looked  about  him  well  pleased. 

"  You  play  the  royal  hostess  right  graciously,  my  Esther," 
he  said.  "  There  is  nothing  lacking  to  complete  our  content. 
What  say  you,  great  Haman,  is  not  the  queen  affording  us 
a  banquet  fit  for  the  gods  themselves?" 

Haman,  who  was  gorging  himself  with  a  dish  of  venison 
prepared  in  a  way  new  to  his  palate,  answered  thickly: 

"  The  king  is,  as  ever,  divinely  right.  The  queen's  gra 
cious  majesty  has  outdone  the  banquet  of  yesterday,  a  feat 
which  I  should  have  declared  impossible  at  the  time.  But 

308 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


I   perceive   the  queen   herself   eats   nothing.      She   is,   per 
chance,  ill." 

Xerxes  looked  searchingly  into  the  face  of  his  queen. 

"  You  have  something  you  would  say  to  me,  my  Esther. 
And  you  do  well  to  speak  of  all  that  is  in  your  heart,  for 
I  grant  it  now — even  to  the  half  of  my  kingdom.  But  first 
eat  a  little,  I  pray  you.  You  are  too  pale  and  wan,  my 
Queen,  for  one  who  has  nothing  to  fear." 

She  looked  up  at  him  in  a  sudden  passion  of  gratitude, 
a  mist  of  tears  clouding  her  sweet  eyes. 

"  I  should  fear  much,"  she  faltered,  "  since  I  am  sorely 
at  fault." 

"  Sorely  at  fault  in  that  you  did  not  trust  me,  even  as 
you  loved  me,"  he  murmured  in  her  ear.  "  But  love  pays 
all  debts." 

When  the  fruit  was  finally  placed  before  the  banqueters, 
and  the  hidden  music  had  retreated  to  a  distance,  the  king 
with  a  barely  perceptible  motion  of  his  hand  dismissed  the 
attendants. 

There  was  tense  silence  for  a  space  in  the  gorgeous  room. 
So  still  was  it  that  the  trill  of  a  belated  bird  in  the  garden 
without,  and  the  subdued  plash  and  tinkle  of  the  fountains 
could  be  distinctly  heard.  Esther's  heart  fluttered  in  her 
throat  as  she  looked  from  the  dark  face  of  the  king  to  the 
coarse  features  of  Haman,  flushed  with  much  eating  and 
drinking.  She  feared  both  men,  but  in  the  one  case  a 
passionate  love  dominated  fear,  and  in  the  other  hatred  and 
disgust  augmented  it. 

At  last  Xerxes,  observing  the  quick  rise  and  fall  of  the 
rose-colored  pearls  upon  the  bosom  of  his  queen,  and  the 
changing  color  that  spoke  in  her  face,  said  quietly: 

"What  is  your  petition,  Queen  Esther? — and  it  shall  be 
granted  you ;  and  what  is  your  request  ? — and  it  shall  be  per 
formed,  even  to  the  half  of  my  kingdom,  which  is  mine 
and  thine." 

309 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


Then  the  queen  took  heart  of  grace;  for  she  knew  that 
what  she  would  reveal  would  in  no  wise  anger  the  king,  since 
he  knew  it  already,  and  loved  her  in  spite  of  it. 

"  If  I  have  found  favor  in  thy  sight,  O  King,  and  if 
it  please  the  king,"  said  she,  "  let  my  life  be  given  me  at  my 
petition,  and  my  people  at  my  request.  For  we  are  sold, 
I  and  my  people,  to  be  destroyed,  to  be  slain,  and  to  perish. 
If  we  had  been  sold  for  bondmen  and  bondwomen  I  had 
been  silent,  though  the  man  that  designed  the  plot  against 
us  could  in  no  wise  repay  the  king  for  the  ruin  it  would 
bring  upon  the  empire." 

"  Who  is  he,  and  where  is  he,  that  durst  presume  in 
his  heart  to  do  so?"  demanded  the  king,  and  his  eyes  began 
to  dart  the  fierce  lightnings  of  wrath  which  his  subjects 
justly  feared  more  than  the  bolts  of  the  invisible  gods. 

Esther  had  risen  from  her  place,  and  stood,  tall  and 
beautiful  in  her  robes  of  white  and  gold  as  some  terrible 
yet  lovely  spirit  of  destruction  sent  forth  to  punish  the  sins 
of  gross  humanity.  Her  eyes,  the  eyes  of  insulted  majesty, 
of  injured  wifehood,  blazed  upon  the  man  who  cowered 
among  the  purple  cushions  of  his  couch  like  one  stricken 
with  paralysis. 

"  The  man  who  would  cause  me  to  be  slain,  with  my 
people,  upon  the  day  of  his  choosing,  is  this  wicked  Haman. 
Ask  him,  King  of  Persia,  why  he  desires  to  slay  the  Jews, 
who  are  the  hereditary  enemies  of  the  Amalekites?  Ask 
him,  also,  what  means  the  secret  arming  of  those  same 
descendants  of  Agag  through  all  the  provinces  ?  " 

The  king  sprang  from  his  place  as  a  sudden  illumining 
flash  showed  him  the  vile  plot  in  all  its  naked  enormity  and, 
with  an  incoherent  exclamation,  strode  out  into  the  garden 
of  the  palace.  He  felt  that  he  could  not  face  any  mortal 
in  this  supreme  moment  of  his  abasement,  least  of  all  the 
man  who  had  tricked  him,  played  with  him,  insulted  him, 
laughed  at  his  weak  compliance  and  his  utter  folly.  It 

310 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


was  one  of  those  frightful  moments  when  the  soul,  stripped 
of  all  shielding  illusions,  sees  itself  as  it  is,  and  loathes  the 
sight.  In  that  moment  Xerxes,  the  Great  King,  beheld  him 
self  what  his  enemies  and  detractors  both  then  and  after 
wards  declared  him  to  be — weak,  easily  led,  puerile  in  his 
outbursts  of  passion,  selfish,  fickle,  boastful,  cruel,  supersti 
tious — the  despot  in  the  most  contemptible  of  all  his  aspects. 

He  saw  his  empire  declining,  not  only  in  territorial  great 
ness,  but  in  administrative  vigor  and  national  spirit.  In 
that  hour,  pale  specters  of  the  past  and  still  more  dreadful 
spirits  of  the  future  held  sway  over  him.  The  great  drops 
rolled  from  his  brow  like  rain;  he  groaned  aloud  in  the 
anguish  of  his  spirit.  Then  the  thought  of  his  wife,  Esther, 
the  beautiful,  innocent  girl,  whom  by  his  cruel  folly  he  had 
condemned  to  be  the  sport  of  his  own  worst  enemy,  fell 
upon  him  like  a  scourge.  Even  now  she  was  alone  and  at 
the  mercy  of  the  man  who,  of  all  others,  should  never  have 
been  permitted  to  gaze  upon  her  exquisite  purity. 

Inspired  with  this  new  passion  of  revenge  the  king  rushed 
back  to  the  banqueting  hall,  where  he  beheld  what  filled 
him  with  fresh  fury. 

Haman,  ever  a  coward,  and  pierced  now  through  all  the 
futile  armor  of  his  arrogance  and  pride  with  the  sharp  cer 
tainty  of  death  and  ruin,  had  forced  himself  to  rise  from  his 
place,  to  utter  words  of  passionate  entreaty,  of  utter  humility 
and  self-abasement.  In  his  insane  effrontery  he  even  ven 
tured  to  remind  the  queen  of  the  conversation  which  had 
taken  place  between  them  before  the  entrance  of  the  king. 

"  Did  I  not  swear  that  I  would  save  you?  "  he  whined. 
"Was  I  not  ready  to  make  you  happy;  to  give  you  all  in 
my  power?  Do  not  turn  away  your  beautiful  face!  Nay, 
but  you  shall  hear  me!  I  will  force  you  to  listen.  See! 
the  king  has  gone  away;  he  is  angry 'with  us  both.!  You 
cannot  be  sure  what  turn  his  fury  will  take.  Look  you, 
I  will  beg  him  for  our  lives.  I  am  strong!  I  am  great! 

3" 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


And  do  you  entreat  him  to  spare  me!  Tell  him  not  to  kill 
me!  I — I  love  you!  I  love  you — have  mercy — have — 
mercy " 

So,  mouthing  and  stammering  his  wild  supplications,  he 
sank  upon  his  knees  beside  her  couch  and  slavered  like  a 
beast  upon  her  robe,  her  hands,  her  feet.  Esther  shrank 
away  from  the  man's  hateful  touch  with  a  faint  scream  of 
terror;  and  hearing  this,  the  king,  who  had  gained  the  door 
way,  spoke  terrible  sentence  of  doom. 

At  this  word  of  the  king's,  all  his  boasted  strength  for 
sook  Haman,  and  his  limbs  became  as  the  limbs  of  a  dead 
man;  like  death,  also,  was  his  awful  face.  He  fell  forward 
upon  the  couch  of  the  queen  and  begged  his  life  at  her  hands 
in  wild  and  incoherent  words. 

"Save  me!  Save  me!"  he  shrieked,  in  a  high,  thin 
note,  out  of  which  all  semblance  to  a  human  voice  had  van 
ished.  "  I  love  you — I  am  your  slave !  Oh — save  me ! 
Save — me !  Save " 

The  wretched  man's  last  frenzied  ravings  were  cut  short 
as  two  of  the  queen's  eunuchs,  obeying  the  silent  gesture  of 
the  king,  dragged  him  backward,  his  face  close  covered  with 
his  own  gorgeous  mantle. 

One  of  these  alert  officials,  observing  the  confusion  of 
the  king's  mind,  spoke  the  thought  that  had  visited  him  ear 
lier  in  the  day. 

"  May  the  Great  King  permit  his  servant  to  speak  of  the 
gallows  fifty  cubits  high,  which  this  Haman  has  lately  caused 
to  be  constructed  in  his  house  for  Matacas,  who  once  saved 
the  king's  life?" 

"  Take  him  away,"  said  the  king  hastily,  "  and  hang 
him  thereon !  " 

That  same  day,  an  hour  before  sunset,  the  tree  of  death 
bore  fruit.  And  Zarara,  the  wife  of  Haman,  beholding  it 
with  her  youngest  born  clasped  in  her  arms  made  no  moan. 

312 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


But  she  climbed,  the  child  still  close  wound  in  her  arms, 
to  the  roof  of  the  palace  which  she  and  her  husband  had 
reared  on  the  blood  and  infamy  of  a  lifetime,  and  looking 
for  the  last  time  into  the  glazed  eyes  of  the  only  man  she 
had  ever  loved,  she  threw  herself  down  into  the  paved  court 
yard  below.  And  so  both  mother  and  child  found  such 
peace  as  a  hurried  escape  out  of  this  present  evil  world  may 
furnish. 


XXXV 

T  evening  the  king  walked  with  his  queen  in 
the  privacy  of  the  garden  where  they  had 
first  met,  and  Esther  told  the  king  all  the 
story  of  her  life,  as  she  would  fain  have 
told  it  in  the  beginning  but  for  the  express 
command  of  her  kinsman,  Mordecai.  She 
spoke  of  her  childhood,  passed  in  the  close  seclusion  of  home, 
where  Mordecai  had  taught  her  the  Persian  tongue,  with 
all  the  care  and  skill  at  his  command. 

"  Always,"  she  said,  "  I  spoke  the  Persian  with  Mor 
decai;  but  with  Abihail  I  spoke  the  Hebrew  tongue,  though 
she,  also,  spoke  the  Persian  with  the  vendors  of  fowls  and 
vegetables,  yet  haltingly.  And  Mordecai  forbade  her  to 
speak  the  beautiful  language  of  the  country  with  me,  lest 
I  should  also  learn  her  strange,  uncouth  manner  of  speech. 
I  was  taught  to  read  and  to  write  both  in  Persian  and  in 
Hebrew;  and  from  Abihail  I  learned  how  to  spin  and  how 
to  shape  the  cakes  of  meal  for  the  baking.  Thus  quietly  and 
in  humble  work  the  days  passed.  Never  beheld  I  the  great 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


sights  of  the  city  or  the  palace,  for  Mordecai  was  wont  to 
declare  that  a  maid  should  sleep  and  rise  again  in  such  peace 
as  the  four  walls  of  home  provided.  So  was  I  sheltered 
and  guarded." 

"And  were  you  happy,  my  Star?"  asked  Xerxes,  half 
afraid  to  question  her,  lest  something  not  to  his  liking  should 
escape  her  lips. 

"  Yes,  truly,  I  was  very,  very,  happy,"  she  answered. 
"  Yet  it  was  the  happiness  of  the  little  child  who  under 
stands  nothing  of  life  or  its  mysteries." 

"  And  had  you  no  friends  save  Matac'as  and  the  wom 
an?"  he  asked  again,  his  face  clouding  as  he  remembered 
the  comely  features  of  the  Prince  of  Edom. 

"  I  had  a  brother,"  she  said  simply.  "  He  was  not  in 
truth  the  son  of  my  mother;  but  he  was  of  close  kin  to  me, 
being  descended  from  Jeconiah,  that  king  of  Judah  whom 
the  Babylonian  Nebuchadnezzar  carried  away  into  captivity. 
There  were  but  the  two  of  us,  and  Mordecai  was  also  his 
guardian." 

The  king  waited  for  her  to  go  on,  in  silence  which  she 
could  not  but  understand. 

"  It  is  not,"  she  said,  stammering  a  little  in  her  embar 
rassment,  "  for  me  to  say,  yet  it  is  in  my  heart  to  tell  the 
king  that  this  prince,  who  is  of  kin  to  me,  is  beloved  by 
Amytis,  daughter  of  the  king." 

"  Does  the  Commander  of  the  Immortals  return  the 
affection  of  the  daughter  of  Xerxes;  or  has  he  raised 
his  eyes  still  higher?"  asked  the  king  in  a  constrained 
voice. 

Esther  laid  her  hand  upon  his  arm  with  a  daring  freedom 
new  to  her. 

"  Will  the  king  look  into  my  eyes?  "  she  entreated. 

He  turned  her  face  upward  with  the  tip  of  his  brown 
forefinger,  and  looked  steadily  into  it. 

"What  read  you?"  she  asked. 
21  315 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


"Much  pain,  sweet — that  is  past;  and  the  traces  of 
recent  tears." 

"What  beside?" 

"  Love !  "  he  murmured  passionately.  "  Is  it  all  and 
always  for  me,  my  Esther?  " 

"  Nay,  I  answer  not,  since  my  heart  is  open  to  you  at 
last,  like  the  pages  of  a  book.  Read,  I  pray  you,  and  tell 
me  what  you  read." 

He  bent  to  look  yet  more  piercingly  into  the  dark  eyes. 

"Mine!"  he  whispered  at  last.  "All  and  eternally 
mine!  I  could  not  believe  it,  because  I  do  not  deserve  it. 
I  am  not  worthy,  yet  I  could  not  bear  my  life  were  it 
otherwise." 

He  kissed  her  then,  full  upon  the  lips.  And  she  knew 
that  all  was  once  more  right  between  them.  Yet  the  future 
stretched  before  her,  dark  and  threatening,  and  she  feared 
what  even  the  morrow  might  bring. 

"What  troubles  you,  sweet?"  he  asked. 

And  she  answered  with  tears.  "  The  thirteenth  day  of 
Adar,  my  Lord  King,  and  the  decree  that  may  not  be  altered 
weighs  upon  my  heart.  Can  I  rejoice,  think  you — even  in 
your  love — when  my  people  rest  under  condemnation  of 
death,  and  even  now  the  net  tightens  around  them  ?  " 

He  drew  his  brows  together  in  deep  thought. 

"  You  spoke  but  lately  of  the  Hebrews  as  the  foes  of 
the  Amalekites,  and  of  the  secret  arming  of  those  same  Amal- 
ekites  throughout  my  kingdom.  Tell  me  more  of  this,  my 
queen.  How  came  you  to  know  of  it?  What,  think  you, 
does  it  portend  ?  " 

"It  can  portend  nothing,  now  that  the  author  of  the 
conspiracy  is  dead,"  she  made  answer.  "  But  this  is  the 
story,  which  as  yet  I  have  told  to  no  one.  Among  my  cham 
berlains  I  found  one  whom  I  could  trust,  and  to  this  man 
I  said,  '  Go  into  the  city  of  Shushan  and  into  the  twelve 
great  cities  of  Persia,  Babylonia,  Assyria,  and  Media;  and 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


into  those  provinces,  also,  which  border  upon  the  coast  and 
the  great  desert,  and  search  in  every  place  for  the  Hebrews ; 
find  out  their  condition  and  the  places  of  their  habitancy, 
whether  they  be  rich,  powerful,  and  numerous ;  find  out,  also, 
who  are  their  enemies,  and  why.  Tell  me  these  things,'  I 
commanded  him,  '  as  speedily  as  may  be.'  Harbonah,  whom 
the  king  gave  me  to  serve  in  my  house,  was  wiser  than 
I,  and  he  caused  many  men  in  the  cities  and  provinces  to 
spy  out  all  that  I  wished  to  know,  and  yesterday  he  brought 
me  word.  '  The  Amalekites  both  hate  and  oppress  the  He 
brews  in  every  town,  city,  and  province,'  quoth  he ;  '  and  these 
ancient  enemies  of  the  Jews  are  receiving  weapons,  swords, 
spears,  and  deadly  slings,  and  in  secret  they  are  making  others 
like  them.'  I  am  but  a  woman,  my  Lord  King,  but  the  saying 
was  plain  to  me.  With  all  the  Hebrews  dead,  and  armed 
with  many  weapons,  what  would  hinder  these  myriads  of 
Amalekites,  with  Haman  at  their  head,  from  attempting  to 
wrest  the  crown  from  the  Achaemenian  line?  I  am  but  a 
woman;  but  I  am  also  the  daughter  of  warrior  kings,  and 
these  thoughts  visited  me  in  the  secret  sanctuary  where  I  pray 
upon  my  knees  to  Jehovah,  the  God  of  the  Hebrews." 

Xerxes  gazed  steadily  at  his  queen.  "  The  wisdom  of 
the  All-Wise,"  he  said,  "  is  ofttimes  hid  from  the  king  and 
his  warriors,  and  made  plain  to  the  pure  and  innocent  in 
heart.  You  have  saved  not  only  your  people,  my  queen,  but 
also  my  kingdom;  and  from  thenceforth  you  shall  share  my 
counsels." 

On  that  day  the  king  sent  for  Mordecai.  The  Hebrew 
had  gone  to  his  house,  followed  by  the  curses  of  Haman, 
after  the  counselor  had  stripped  from  him  the  king's  purple 
which  the  scribe  had  worn  for  an  hour;  and  in  his  house 
Mordecai  again  laid  the  sackcloth  upon  his  shoulders,  and 
beat  upon  his  breast  before  the  unseen  Presence  whom  he 
worshiped. 

"  O  Lord  God  of  Israel !  "  he  prayed.  "  Have  mercy 
317 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


upon  thy  people  and  upon  the  queen,  whom  I,  in  my  folly, 
prevented  from  speaking  truth  to  the  king,  when  in  her  inno- 
cency  she  would  have  done  so.  Verily,  I  perceive,  now  that 
it  is  too  late,  all  my  grievous  errors.  Had  she  told  the  king 
of  her  people,  this  wicked  Haman  could  not  have  persuaded 
Xerxes  to  the  course  which  he  has  taken.  But  even  now, 
O  Lord,  our  God,  thou  canst  overrule  my  foolishness  with 
thine  eternal  wisdom !  Thou  canst  cause  light  to  appear  in 
darkness,  and  the  brightness  of  thy  rising  is  the  terror  of 
night.  Thou  art  a  king  who,  sitting  upon  the  throne  of 
judgment  in  the  heavens,  scattereth  away  all  evil  with  thine 
eyes.  The  hearing  ear,  and  the  seeing  eye,  thou,  O  Lord, 
hast  made  even  both  of  them;  and  it  is  thine  to  withhold 
clear  vision  and  right  understanding,  and  also  to  give  it 
again.  And  now,  Lord,  behold  the  abasement  of  thy  serv 
ant,  and  help  us  right  speedily,  before  ever  the  day  of  blood 
dawns,  or  the  morning  in  which  our  enemies  shall  whet  the 
sword  against  the  lives  of  thy  servants!  " 

And  having  prayed  after  this  fashion  with  all  his  heart, 
Mordecai  felt  suddenly  comforted  of  his  sorrow,  and  a 
strange  light  of  assurance  penetrated  his  forebodings,  and 
scattered  them  every  one,  as  the  beams  of  the  rising  sun  scat 
ter  the  mists  of  night. 

He  arose,  therefore,  at  the  call  of  Abihail,  and  laid  aside 
his  sackcloth  for  the  last  time,  and  washed  his  hands  and 
anointed  his  head  with  fragrant  oil.  He  also,  for  the  first 
time  in  many  days,  ate  meat  and  drank  wine  in  his  house. 
This  done,  he  sat  again  upon  his  mule  and  set  forth  to  the 
palace,  thinking  to  go  to  his  work,  to  which  in  his  mourning 
he  had  paid  scant  heed  of  late. 

As  he  went,  the  mule  slow  stepping  amid  the  dust  of  the 
street  through  which  he  had  lately  ridden  upon  the  king's 
horse,  he  paid  no  heed  to  the  people  that  followed  him,  nor 
to  the  children  who  called  after  him  shrilly :  "  There  goes 
the  man  whom  the  king  delights  to  honor!  " 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


Clearly,  Mordecai,  the  Jew,  was  now  a  notable  figure; 
all  the  inhabitants  of  Shushan  had  his  name  in  their  mouths, 
and  many  wondered  what  would  be  done  with  the  He 
brew,  now  that  he  had  worn  the  purple.  And  some  said 
that  it  was  arranged  by  Haman,  that  afterwards  he  might 
accuse  his  enemy  of  having  overriden  the  existing  laws,  in 
consenting  to  put  on  the  king's  garment,  which  offense  was 
punishable  with  death.  So  a  great  multitude  gathered,  fol 
lowing  the  slow-stepping  mule  which  bore  the  grave,  gaunt 
figure  of  Mordecai,  now  wasted  to  a  yet  severer  aspect  by 
many  days  of  rigorous  fasting  and  strong  praying. 

But  Mordecai  heeded  nothing  of  the  multitude  which 
buzzed  at  his  back.  He  was  in  truth  thinking  of  many 
things,  and,  after  his  wont,  blind  and  deaf  to  all  that  went 
on  in  the  outward  world.  And  chiefly  he  thought  of  the 
queen,  who  to-day  entertained  the  king  and  Haman  at  a 
banquet,  and  he  wondered  if  she  had  spoken  the  truth  at 
last,  as  he  had  bidden  her;  or  if  her  weak  woman's  heart 
had  failed  her  once  again,  as  on  the  day  before. 

And  of  Haman  he  meditated  that  not  long  could  the 
boaster  sustain  himself  in  the  frothing  sea  of  the  king's 
favor,  marveling  also  at  the  blindness  of  Xerxes  in  seeking 
wise  counsel  at  the  mouth  of  a  blatant  fool. 

It  was  a  great  and  echoing  cry  arising  from  the  mouth 
of  the  populace,  which  now  crowded  his  beast  on  every  hand, 
that  aroused  Mordecai  from  the  thoughts  which  held  him, 
and  once  more  alive  to  the  world  about  him,  he  lifted  his 
eyes  and  beheld  a  strange  sight.  Above  him  towered  a  mon 
strous  gibbet  high  in  air;  and  upon  it,  dangling  in  mid- 
heaven,  like  a  gaudy  popinjay  upon  a  string,  hung  a  glitter 
ing  figure,  the  sun  striking  sparks  of  splendor  from  the  gold 
and  jewels  of  its  garb;  its  pigmy  sword,  also,  was  seen  thrust 
in  its  golden  belt,  and  its  mantle  streamed  wide  in  the  fresh 
wind.  Such  haste  had  the  servants  of  the  queen  made  to 
carry  out  the  order  of  Xerxes  that  they  had  not  stopped 

319 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


even  to  clothe  the  wretched  criminal  in  the  decent  and 
sober  garb  of  death,  but  had  hung  him  there  in  all  the 
glittering  gauds  for  which  he  had  sold  his  honor  and  his 
life. 

Mordecai,  scarce  comprehending  what  this  dreadful  sight 
might  mean,  yet  perceiving  even  in  his  dumb  amaze  that  his 
enemy  had  fallen,  and  that  he  would  trouble  him  no  more, 
after  a  long  look  with  unbelieving  eyes,  went  his  way  toward 
the  palace,  followed  by  no  one  at  all.  For  the  people, 
beholding  the  enemy  of  Mordecai  dead  upon  the  gallows, 
were  all  at  once  smitten  with  fear  and  respect  for  the  man 
who  had  worn  the  king's  purple. 

"  Even  now,"  said  they,  "  he  goes  to  receive  power  and 
honor  and  high  office  at  the  hand  of  the  king." 

Such  sudden  degradations,  deaths,  and  dishonors  were 
not  infrequent  occurrences  in  the  kingdom  of  Media  and 
Persia;  and  by  this  everyone  knew  that  the  queen  was  a 
Hebrew  and  of  kin  to  Matacas.  For  Abihail  had  told  it 
in  strict  secrecy  to  the  woman  who  lived  across  the  street, 
and  also  to  a  merchant  who  sold  oil,  and  was  wealthy  and 
well  thought  of;  and  each  of  these  excellent  persons  had 
told  the  secret  to  one  or  two  others  (under  strict  seal  of 
silence) ;  and  these  also  had  gone  forth,  and  within  the  hour 
had  told  intimate  friends,  who  straightway  whispered  it  to 
others,  and  so  on  in  ever-increasing  numbers  till  the  rivulets 
of  information  met  in  the  full  tide  of  knowledge. 

But  now  it  could  not  matter,  save  to  the  Hebrews  them 
selves,  who  began  to  lay  aside  their  sackcloth  and  wash  the 
ashes  from  their  heads,  even  though  the  terrible  edict  still 
stood  blazoned  upon  the  walls  of  the  city. 

And  thus  it  chanced — as  often  it  has  been  observed,  in 
every  day  and  generation — that  while  Mordecai  knew  not 
what  awaited  him  in  the  palace  at  Shushan,  every  man, 
woman,  and  child  of  the  multitudes  that  gazed  after  him  at 
a  respectful  distance  knew  it  right  well,  and  were  telling  it 

320 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


one  to  the  other,  with  extravagant  phrase  and  gesture.  Yet 
the  sight  of  Haman  hanging  on  his  own  well-built  gibbet, 
his  gay  vestures  fluttering  in  the  wind,  had  prepared  Mata- 
cas  somewhat  for  that  which  followed  straightway  upon  his 
entrance  to  the  palace.  For  here  the  king's  chamberlains  met 
him  with  profound  obeisance  and  fetched  him  to  the  presence 
chamber. 

And  as  for  the  rest,  is  it  not  written  in  the  Chronicles 
of  the  great  king  Xerxes,  the  Achaemenian, — may  he  live 
forever! — who  also  is  Lord  of  the  Whole  World,  the  King 
of  kings,  the  Ruler  of  peoples  afar  off!  And  these  are  the 
veritable  words  the  scribes  of  the  king  wrote  concerning 
Mordecai,  the  Jew,  who  came  into  the  king's  chamber  on 
the  three  and  twentieth  day  of  the  third  month,  that  is  the 
month  Sivan. 

"  Know  all  men  to  whom  in  future  generations  these 
chronicles  shall  be  read,  that  on  the  three  and  twentieth  day 
of  Sivan,  in  the  twelfth  year  of  Xerxes,  the  king,  there  came 
at  the  king's  bidding  a  certain  man  into  his  presence.  And 
the  name  of  the  man  was  Mordecai,  which  is  called  also 
Matacas.  And  this  Mordecai,  being  of  close  kin  to  Queen 
Esther,  and  furthermore  being  wiser  than  any  of  the  king's 
counselors  and  any  of  his  wise  men;  wiser  also  than  any 
of  the  seven  hereditary  princes  of  the  kingdom  of  Media 
and  Persia,  the  king,  in  the  presence  of  his  princes  and  nobles 
and  counselors  and  wise  men,  did  cause  to  be  placed  upon 
the  head  of  Mordecai  a  diadem  of  gold,  which  diadem  con 
ferred  upon  Mordecai  a  position  in  the  kingdom  second  only 
to  that  of  the  king.  And  the  king  took  off  his  ring  (which 
had  been  taken  from  Haman,  the  Amalekite)  and  gave  it 
to  Mordecai.  And  the  lords  of  the  wardrobe  put  upon  him 
royal  apparel  of  violet  and  white,  witji  a  garment  of  fine 
linen  and  purple;  for  being  of  kin  to  the  queen,  he  had 
become  even  as  the  king's  brother.  And  so  declared  the 
great  king,  and  so  caused  he  proclamation  to  be  made  con- 

321 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


cerning  Mordecai;  and  he  became  the  first  noble  in  the 
kingdom. 

"  And  this  is  the  chronicle  concerning  Mordecai,  the 
Hebrew,  written  at  Shushan,  the  palace,  and  sealed  with  the 
king's  seal,  in  the  third  month,  which  is  the  month  Sivan, 
on  the  three  and  twentieth  day  thereof,  in  the  twelfth  year 
of  Ahasuerus,  which  is  Xerxes,  the  Achaemenian." 

Many  other  things,  also,  did  the  scribes  write  of  all  that 
transpired  in  Shushan  that  day.  But  of  these  some  have  been 
lost,  and  of  those  that  remain  not  one  tells  all  the  truth,  which 
is  known  only  to  a  few.  Some  would  have  it  that  Esther 
was  a  hard,  cruel  woman,  who  gloated  openly  over  the  death 
of  her  enemy,  Haman,  and  desired  nothing  but  the  blood 
of  those  who  had  wronged  her.  And  others  say  that  she 
coerced  the  king  to  his  own  hurt  to  set  her  kinsman,  Mor 
decai,  above  all  the  great  and  wise  men  in  his  kingdom. 
But  let  the  truth  be  known  once  and  for  all  time  concerning 
these  and  other  matters:  Esther  was  a  sweet  and  loving 
woman,  wise-hearted  above  most,  and  brave  above  every 
woman  in  the  world.  It  is  told  of  her  (and  no  one  who 
lives  to-day  may  deny  it)  that  she  begged  the  lives  of  the 
nine  surviving  sons  of  Haman  from  the  king.  But  Mordecai 
dissuaded  her,  because  they  were  a  turbulent  and  unruly 
lot,  and  even  then  swearing  bloody  vengeance  upon  the  king, 
the  queen,  and  all  who  served  them.  Certain  it  is  that  none 
of  them  long  survived,  but  as  to  the  manner  of  their  death 
let  no  one  ask.  They  were  hot  missed  in  the  city  of  Shushan, 
where  great  and  important  events  succeeded  one  another  so 
fast  that  the  inhabitants  were  scarce  done  gaping  over 
one  marvelous  happening  before  another  had  taken  its 
place. 

That  day,  while  yet  Mithra  rode  his  golden  chariot  in 
the  west,  Mordecai,  the  new  prime  minister,  held  counsel 
with  his  royal  master  as  to  the  manner  in  which  the  mis 
chief  of  Haman  could  be  best  undone.  The  immutable  law 

322 


already  existed,  and  it  could  not  be  reversed,  overridden,  or 
set  aside.    Nevertheless  something  must  be  done,  and  at  once. 

"  Why  did  not  you  annul  the  decree,  while  you  carried 
my  scepter  and  wore  my  crown  ?  "  the  king  asked  Mordecai. 
"  My  scribes  wrote  on  that  day  that  you  refused  to  save  your 
people — even  with  the  scepter  in  your  grasp." 

Mordecai  looked  the  king  straight  in  the  eyes,  a  thing 
few  men  dared  to  do. 

"  Because  I  bore  your  scepter  and  wore  your  crown,  I 
refused,"  he  said.  "  Being  for  an  hour  the  king,  I  was  un 
able  to  contravene  the  king's  law." 

The  king  marveled  at  this  answer. 

"  But  your  own  life  and  the  life  of  the  queen,  your  kins 
woman,  were  at  stake,"  he  urged. 

"  Even  so,"  quoth  Mordecai,  "  but  would  I,  think  you, 
make  a  mock  of  the  king's  laws  in  the  eyes  of  all  Shushan  ? 
Not  even  to  save  my  life  or  the  life  of  the  one  most  dear  to 
me  could  I  do  this  thing." 

The  king  smote  upon  his  knee. 

"  By  the  nine  attributes  of  Ormazd,"  swore  he,  "  there 
is  no  such  man  in  all  my  kingdom !  You  are  a  better  man 
than  I,  Matacas;  for  I  should  have  trodden  the  evil  law  un 
der  foot,  and  defied  the  King's  Majesty.  I  would  you  had 
done  it!  "  he  groaned. 

"  There  is  a  certain  officer  in  the  king's  army,  of  the 
blood  of  the  Hebrews,  who  besought  me  on  that  day  to  give 
the  Jews  leave  to  defend  themselves  from  the  assaults  of 
the  enemy.  This  the  King's  Majesty  might  grant  his  He 
brew  subjects,  and  in  so  doing  relieve  the  kingdom  of  certain 
turbulent  Amalekites." 

"  Ay,  let  the  vile  brood  of  Haman  be  purged  from  my 
kingdom,"  muttered  the  king,  mindful  of  what  his  queen 
had  told  him  of  this  captive  people,  which  had  never  ceased 
to  spring  at  the  strong  hand  that  leashed  it  since  the  day 
of  its  conquest  under  Cyrus. 

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THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


"  Bring  the  Prince  of  Edom  hither,"  he  commanded.  "  I 
will  speak  with  him  further  concerning  this  and  another 
matter." 

And  when  the  Commander  of  the  Immortals  came  in  a 
brief  space,  and  bowed  himself  before  the  king,  Xerxes  looked 
at  him  earnestly. 

"  You  have  a  plan  by  which  the  Hebrews  may  save 
themselves  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  Adar,"  he  said.  "  How 
may  it  be  done  without  any  compromise  of  the  king's 
honor?" 

And  Nathan  answered: 

"  May  it  be  with  all  the  king's  enemies  as  it  will  be  with 
the  enemies  of  the  Jews  on  the  evening  of  that  day,  if  the 
king  be  pleased  to  allow  my  brethren  weapons  of  defense  in 
their  hands  from  the  rising  up  of  the  sun  till  the  going  down 
of  it.  There  was  no  word  in  the  former  decree  to  contra 
vene  this  favor  of  majesty." 

"  Bring  hither  the  former  writing,"  commanded  Xerxes. 

They  brought  it,  and  straightway  the  king  dictated  a 
letter  in  his  own  words  to  the  satraps  and  governors  of  great 
cities,  and  when  all  was  finished,  he  said : 

"  I  have  done  what  I  could  to  undo  the  former  mischief. 
But  alas!  to  wholly  undo  any  evil  under  the  sun  is  not  in 
the  power  of  man.  Rather  let  the  evil-doer  beware,  for 
every  deed  of  wickedness  partakes  of  the  nature  of  the  laws 
of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  in  that  it  cannot  be  altered  or 
undone,  but  ever  goes  on  performing  its  dark  work." 

"  So  also  is  the  good  deed  in  its  nature,"  spoke  Mordecai, 
"  and  the  good  differs  from  the  evil  as  light  is  different  from 
darkness,  in  that  it  overcomes  evil,  and  triumphs,  and  shall 
triumph  over  it  gloriously.  Let  the  king  be  comforted  in 
his  heart,  for  only  good  shall  come  out  of  this  seeming 
evil." 

And  so  the  event  proved ;  but  of  this,  more  anon.  On 
this  day,  also,  it  is  recorded  that  the  king  spoke  to  Nathan 

324 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


of  the  Princess  Amytis,  as  kings  may  speak  regarding  such 
matters  as  the  love  and  marriage  of  their  offspring. 

"  My  daughter  Amytis,"  quoth  he,  "  has  distinguished 
you  above  all  men  by  her  favor.  What  have  you  to  say, 
Prince  of  Edom?  " 

And  Nathan,  bowing  himself  low  so.  that  the  plumes  of 
his  helmet  swept  the  ground  at  the  king's  feet,  made  answer 
that  he  could  say  nothing,  being  overwhelmed  with  grati 
tude  and  humility. 

"Do  you  love  the  maiden,  Prince?"  asked  the  king, 
willing  to  know  his  mind.  "  She  is  not,  it  seems  to  me,  ill- 
favored — being  like  myself;  and  she  has  refused  to  marry 
Mathistan,  Prince  of  Ecbatana;  because,  it  appears,  she  pre 
fers  you." 

And  again  Nathan  expressed  his  profound  gratitude  in 
courtly  phrase.  "  I  would  serve  the  royal  lady  with  my 
life,"  he  declared,  albeit  somewhat  coldly,  to  the  thinking 
of  Xerxes. 

"  That  being  the  case,"  said  the  king,  "  you  shall  serve 
the  princess  in  the  capacity  that  she  shall  choose.  I  will 
say  no  more.  I  am  weary  of  attempting  to  arrange  anything 
for  the  daughter  of  Xerxes,  who  seems  to  have  inherited  her 
father's  hot  temper  with  her  mother's  stubborn  folly  of  self- 
will.  She  must  henceforth  do  even  as  pleases  herself  in 
matters  pertaining  to  her  future  estate." 

But  Nathan,  being  thus  brought  face  to  face  with  a  fu 
ture  of  unexampled  brilliancy  and  good  fortune,  as  Morde- 
cai  was  careful  to  point  out  in  a  subsequent  interview  be 
tween  the  two  men,  could  only  sigh  and  frown,  while  he 
protested  that  he  did  not  desire  a  satrapy,  great  wealth,  and 
a  beautiful  wife  of  the  blood  royal. 

"  I  am  a  blunt  soldier,"  he  said  gloomily,  "  better  fitted 
for  the  life  of  forced  marches  and  rude  camps,  and  doubtless 
fated  to  fall  a  victim  to  the  sword  on  some  far-away  battle 
field." 

325 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


Mordecai  looked  at  the  young  man  keenly.  He  was 
about  to  apply  the  knife  to  an  old  and  festering  wound,  and 
he  hesitated  while  he  chose  the  sharpest  instrument  at  his 
command. 

"  You  are  thinking,"  he  said,  "  of  former  days,  and  fancy 
ing  that  you  still  love  Hadassah.  Let  me  tell  you,  Nathan, 
that  you  love  a  myth,  a  something  that  never  existed.  The 
child  Hadassah  was  but  the  bud,  of  which  the  queen  of 
Xerxes  is  the  royal  flower.  She  was  never  yours.  Forget 
that  you  ever  deceived  yourself  into  thinking  so." 

The  Prince  of  Edom  fixed  fiery  eyes  of  wrath  upon  the 
stern  face  of  the  chief  counselor. 

"Why  have  you  spoken  to  me  of  her?"  he  asked  in  a 
smothered  voice.  "  Right  well  do  I  know  that  she  was 
never  mine.  You  stole  her  from  me  to  exchange  for  a  pur 
ple  robe.  But  I  cannot  raise  a  dead  love  from  the  cold 
grave  where  it  lies  stiff  and  stark,  wound  in  the  cerements 
of  past  days,  and  say  to  the  daughter  of  Xerxes:  '  Here  is 
my  love;  clasp  it  to  your  woman's  breast  and  warm  it  to 
a  semblance  of  life ! '  Nay,  I  am  no  thief  to  steal  all  that 
is  sweetest  and  best  from  another;  this  I  have  suffered  at 
your  hands;  but  I  will  not  inflict  it.  Too  well  I  know  the 
smart  of  the  pain  that  knows  no  easement." 

"  You  are,"  said  Mordecai  sternly,  "  speaking  that  which 
is  unbecoming  to  a  prince  of  Judah,  and  which  is  also  untrue. 
You  are  offered  an  alliance  with  the  daughter  of  the  Great 
King.  You  cannot — you  dare  not  refuse.  If  you  cannot 
love  the  princess  you  may  at  least  be  courteous  to  her.  And 
when  she  holds  your  son,  a  royal  prince  of  the  Achaemenian 
line,  in  her  arms,  you  may  even  find  it  in  your  heart  to  be 
grateful  to  Jehovah,  who  offers  you  that  which  the  most 
powerful  prince  in  the  kingdom  would  receive  with  joy.  Be 
sides,"  he  added  craftily,  "  the  maiden  loves  you,  and  you 
can  save  her  the  bitter  pain  and  humiliation  of  unrequited 
affection  by  showing  her  such  kindness  as  you  are  able." 

326 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


The  Prince  of  Edom  sighed  bitterly;  then  he  fell  to  fin 
gering  the  gem  whereon  was  engraved  the  lion  hunter  of 
Persia,  which  Amytis  had  given  him  long  ago.  And  by  some 
alchemy  of  thought  her  face,  with  its  sparkling  blue  eyes 
and  fair  golden  hair  shading  a  brow  of  marvelous  purity, 
arose  before  him.  It  would  not,  he  mused,  be  difficult  to 
be  kind  to  the  princess.  And,  after  all,  she  had  saved  his 
life,  which  he  had  sworn  should  be  devoted  lo  her  service! 

Again  he  sighed  and  muttered  something  unintelligible. 

"  You  will  go  to  her  to-day,  with  the  king's  permission," 
said  Mordecai  firmly.  "  And  you  will  say  to  her " 

"  Nay,  you  need  not  to  put  words  into  my  mouth,  my 
worshipful  Mordecai.  Wisdom  breathes  from  your  coun 
sels,  I  doubt  not,  yet  I  shall  be  able  to  say  what  I  will  to 
the  daughter  of  Xerxes." 

"  And  you  will  consent  to  the  alliance  ?  I  may  assure 
the  king  of  this?  " 

"  You  may  say  to  the  king  that  I  will  be  united  to  the 
princess  at  sunset  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  Adar,"  Nathan 
said;  but  his  face  was  not  the  face  of  a  happy  bridegroom. 

Mordecai  looked  the  prince  straight  in  the  eyes. 

"Why  do  you  set  that  day,  of  all  others?"  he  asked 
sharply. 

"  Because  on  that  day  I  shall  have  work  to  do.  I  can 
not  wed  till  it  be  accomplished." 

"  Reconsider,  I  pray  you.     The  day  is  ill-omened." 

"  Not  so ;  it  is  a  good  day ;  a  day  wherein  mercy  will 
come  to  Israel.  And  why  not  wed  on  such  a  day?  My 
espousals  will  be  blessed  by  Heaven." 

"  The  king  will  not  be  pleased  to  put  off  the  matter  of 
the  marriage  so  long.  He  wishes  to  see  his  daughter  safely 
bestowed.  Besides,  the  satrapy  of  Cyprus  is  already  vacant, 
and  this  would  be  given  to  you  as  the  husband  of  Amytis." 

"  I  understand  well  that  Xerxes  and  Mordecai,  also, 
would  be  glad  of  my  absence  from  Shushan.  Nevertheless, 

327 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


I  will  not  go  till  the  thirteenth  of  Adar  be  past.  It  is 
spoken.  It  cannot  be  unsaid.  Go  tell  the  king  what  I  have 
said.  If  it  displeases  him,  let  him  do  what  he  will  with  the 
princess." 

And  with  this  decision  of  Nathan's  Mordecai  was  forced 
to  be  content;  though  he  did  not  then  understand  it. 

That  night  every  scribe  in  the  palace  was  busily  at  work 
upon  the  new  edict;  and  on  this  occasion  there  was  neither 
moaning  nor  tearing  of  hair  on  the  part  of  those  that  la 
bored.  As  before,  the  posts  were  ordered  to  be  ready  an 
hour  before  dawn;  and  copies  were  translated  by  Matacas 
himself  into  the  several  languages,  to  be  sent  into  all  the 
one  hundred  and  seven  and  twenty  provinces.  And  these 
were  the  words  of  the  writing: 

"  Xerxes,  the  great  king,  the  Achaemenian,  and  Esther, 
the  queen,  to  our  rulers,  and  to  those  who  are  faithful  sub 
jects  in  all  parts  of  our  dominions,  greeting! 

"  Inasmuch  as  certain  men  who  have  been  the  recipients 
of  our  royal  bounty  in  times  past  have  abused  our  generosity ; 
not  scrupling  to  do  evil  to  us  and  to  such  as  are  our  friends  ; 
and  since  they  have  even  used  the  abundance  they  have  de 
rived  from  us  against  the  authors  of  it,  supposing  that  they 
could  conceal  their  baseness  from  the  All-Wise  Ahura- 
Mazda — to  whom  be  honor  and  praise — let  it  be  known: 

"  First:  that  all  such  persons — if  there  be  any  yet  alive 
— take  warning  by  the  fate  of  Haman,  the  son  of  Hamma- 
detha,  by  birth  an  Amalekite  and  alien  from  the  blood  of  the 
Persians.  This  man  was  hospitably  entertained  by  us,  and 
partook  of  the  kindness  which  we  bear  to  all  men,  even  to 
the  point  of  eating  at  the  royal  table,  and  being  honored  of 
all  men  as  second  in  power  and  glory  only  to  ourselves.  But 
the  event  proved  that  he  was  not  able  to  bear  his  good  for 
tune,  nor  govern  the  magnitude  of  his  prosperity  with  sound 
reason.  For  he  made  a  conspiracy  even  against  us,  his  sov 
ereigns  by  divine  right;  whereby  he  hoped  to  destroy  the  life 

328 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


of  the  great  Queen  Esther,  the  consort  of  Xerxes.  And  he 
furthermore  designed  to  deprive  us  of  our  most  faithful 
friends  and  subjects,  the  Hebrews,  who  dwell  in  many  of 
our  cities  and  provinces. 

"  And  second :  since  we  have,  by  the  grace  of  Ahura- 
Mazda,  arrived  at  a  sound  knowledge  of  the  truth  concern 
ing  these  same  Hebrews,  who  were  by  the  arts  and  wicked 
machinations  of  Haman  devoted  to  death  and  destruction 
on  a  certain  day,  which  day  is  the  thirteenth  day  of  the 
twelfth  month,  which  is  Adar;  and  since  we  now  have  ascer 
tained  that  these  Hebrews  are  just  men,  conducting  their 
lives  and  affairs  after  the  best  manner  and  dedicated  to  the 
worship  of  God,  who  hath  preserved  the  kingdom  to  us  and 
to  our  ancestors  of  the  Achaemenian  line,  be  it  hereby  known 
and  decreed,  after  the  manner  of  the  laws  of  the  Medes  and 
Persians,  the  law  that  altereth  not,  neither  can  be  broken 
with  impunity  by  any  man,  that  the  thirteenth  day  of  the 
twelfth  month,  which  is  the  month  Adar,  he  celebrated  as  a 
holy  day.  For  Ahura-Mazda  hath  made  that  day  a  day  of 
celebration,  instead  of  a  day  of  destruction.  Therefore,  let 
it  be  a  good  day  to  all  who  wish  us  well,  and  a  memorial 
of  the  punishment  which  hath  already  overtaken  the  vile 
conspirator,  Haman,  and  which  shall  in  the  future  overtake 
all  men  of  like  evil  intent.  Also,  it  is  decreed  that  on  that 
day,  which  is  the  thirteenth  day  of  the  twelfth  month,  which 
is  the  month  of  Adar,  shall  all  the  Hebrews  gather  themselves 
together,  to  stand  for  their  lives ;  and  to  destroy,  to  slay,  and 
to  cause  to  perish  all  persons  in  whatever  province  or  city 
they  may  be  found,  who  shall  lay  hands  on  them  to  do  them 
hurt.  And  the  spoil  of  such  persons  shall  the  Hebrews  take 
for  a  prey. 

"  And,  third :  be  it  hereby  known  that  it  is  the  royal 
will  and  pleasure  of  Xerxes,  the  Achaemenian,  and  of  Esther, 
his  queen  and  consort,  that  every  person  and  every  city  and 
every  nation  that  shall  disobey  or  contravene  anything  that 

329 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


is  contained  in  this  epistle  shall  be  straightway  destroyed  by 
fire  and  the  sword.  And  we  do  give  you  charge,  that  you 
publicly  proclaim,  set  forth,  and  cause  to  be  known  in  all 
places  over  which  you  bear  authority;  which  authority  is 
deputed  to  you  by  the  grace  of  your  sovereigns  by  divine 
right,  all  the  words  of  this  writing:  to  the  effect  that  the 
Hebrews  in  all  parts  of  our  dominions  shall  be  honorably 
entreated  of  our  subjects;  and  further,  that  they  be  peaceably 
permitted  to  enjoy  their  own  laws.  And  that  you  assist 
them  by  every  means  at  your  command  to  defend  themselves 
from  unjust  violence  on  every  day,  and  particularly  on  the 
thirteenth  day  of  the  twelfth  month,  which  is  Adar.  Failing 
in  any  of  these  requirements,  you  may  justly  expect  no  other 
than  the  fate  of  Haman,  whom  we  have  this  day  caused 
to  be  hung  and  to  perish  upon  a  gallows  in  this  our  city 
and  palace  of  Shushan. 

"  Written  by  the  scribes  of  the  king  at  Shushan,  the 
palace,  and  sealed  with  the  king's  seal  on  the  three  and 
twentieth  day  of  the  third  month,  which  is  the  month 
Sivan." 

So  the  posts  that  rode  upon  swift  horses  and  upon  mules 
and  upon  camels  went  out,  being  hastened  and  pressed  by  the 
king's  commandment.  And  the  decree  was  published,  also, 
at  Shushan,  both  in  the  palace  and  in  the  city.  That  day 
the  city  of  Shushan  rejoiced  and  was  glad.  The  Jews  also 
had  lights  in  all  their  houses,  and  there  was  much  feasting, 
and  joy  and  gladness  was  upon  every  tongue.  In  every  prov 
ince  and  in  every  city  whithersoever  the  king's  commandment 
and  his  decree  came,  from  India  even  unto  Ethiopia,  in  all 
the  hundred  and  twenty  and  seven  provinces,  the  Jews  had 
joy  and  gladness,  a  feast  and  a  good  day.  And  it  is  told, 
also,  that  certain  of  the  people  of  the  land  became  Jews ;  for 
fear  of  the  Jews  fell  upon  them  one  and  all. 

During  all  these  days  of  stir  and  excitement,  during 
which  the  national  policies  of  the  kingdom  of  Persia  were 

330 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


thus  suddenly  changed,  Mathistan,  Prince  of  Ecbatana,  still 
remained  at  the  palace,  and  unmindful  of  the  scant  attention 
he  received  continued  to  press  his  private  affairs  upon 
Xerxes  in  season  and  out  of  season.  He  could  not,  he  rep 
resented  with  some  show  of  fairness,  return  to  Ecbatana  un 
accompanied  by  a  royal  bride.  And  this  he  represented  ur 
gently  to  Mordecai,  also,  in  his  new  estate  as  prime  minister 
of  the  kingdom,  when  he  could  not  by  any  means  obtain 
the  king's  ear. 

The  erstwhile  scribe  heard  him  patiently,  as  was  his 
custom. 

"  You  are  not,  I  presume,  insistent  that  it  shall  be  the 
Princess  Amytis  who  shall  accompany  you  to  your  capital  ?  " 
he  inquired  mildly. 

And  Mathistan  swore  by  all  the  gods  that  he  was  not 
insistent  upon  this  point. 

"The  woman  has  insulted  me!"  he  said,  ruffling  all 
his  feathers  like  one  of  the  quarrelsome  game-cocks  in  the 
royal  pens.  "  But  I  will  not  depart  without  a  bride.  I 
have  sworn  it." 

"  There  is,"  said  Mordecai,  yet  more  pacifically,  "  a 
royal  princess  of  Media,  whom  the  Queen  Atossa  has  under 
her  protection.  She  was  designed  by  the  queen  mother  for 
the  king  himself;  but  inasmuch  as  Xerxes  will  take  no 
more  wives  at  present,  why  do  not  you  marry  her  ?  She 
is,  like  yourself,  of  the  blood  of  Astyages,  and  fair  to  look 
upon." 

At  first  Mathistan  declared  that  he  would  not  marry  a 
Median  princess.  But  later  when  at  a  banquet  which  Atossa 
was  prevailed  upon  to  give  (by  what  means  only  Mordecai 
could  have  told)  he  saw  the  plump,  pink  and  white,  some 
what  dull,  maiden,  called  Artisonna,  of  whose  society  Atossa 
was  by  this  time  heartily  weary;  and  when  Artisonna  (also 
fatigued  by  the  life  at  Shushan)  cast  languishing  glances  at 
the  royal  Median,  whom  she  admired  excessively,  he  became 
22  331 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


appeased  to  the  point  of  graciousness.  And  in  a  week's 
time  the  marriage  was  arranged,  Xerxes  gladly  bestowing 
a  magnificent  dowry  upon  the  bride,  commensurate  with  his 
own  royal  state  and  the  depth  of  his  obligations  to  the  com 
placent  Mathistan,  who  from  a  threatened  enemy  became 
henceforth  a  devoted  and  loyal  subject. 

All  these  and  other  matters  did  Mordecai  arrange  for 
the  king  with  surpassing  wisdom.  There  were  those,  indeed, 
who  found  him  hard  and  unbending  (notably  the  nine  tur 
bulent  sons  of  Haman).  And  this  was  well,  since  many 
affairs  had  become  inextricably  tangled  both  in  civil  and 
military  circles.  And  to  all  these  and  similar  problems  did 
Mordecai  apply  his  vast  stores  of  knowledge  of  men  and 
affairs,  his  distinguished  sagacity  and  patience,  and  his  ada 
mantine  firmness,  with  the  result  that  out  of  the  threatened 
ruin  and  disintegration  of  the  kingdom  there  came  pres 
ently  a  calm  and  settled  aspect  of  things  which  restored 
confidence  and  harmony.  And  all  this  was  accomplished 
with  so  much  apparent  ease  that  Xerxes  was  conscious  only 
of  the  peaceful  and  pleasurable  results.  No  longer  was  it 
necessary  to  resort  to  the  frightful  punishments  with  which 
it  had  seemed  necessary  to  intimidate  evil-doers  under  former 
systems  of  government.  So  that  for  the  space  of  a  year  not 
one  prominent  person  was  suffocated  with  ashes,  nor  suffered 
the  untold  pain  and  humiliation  of  having  his  tongue  torn 
out  by  the  roots.  Not  one  criminal  was  flayed  alive  in  the 
public  square,  as  had  been  the  horrid  practice  of  Haman ; 
nor  did  the  traveler  suffer  the  sight  of  numerous  robbers 
buried  to  the  neck  along  the  highway,  and  shrieking  out 
their  dying  torments.  Women,  for  the  first  time  in  many 
years,  were  comparatively  safe,  and  children  received  an  at 
tention  and  care  new  in  the  annals  of  Persian  government. 
In  a  word,  those  just  and  humane  and  advanced  principles 
of  government,  first  given  to  the  Hebrew  lawgiver  on  Mount 
Sinai,  and  since  embodied  in  the  ten  laws  known  to  every 

332 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


devout  Jew,  were  promulgated  and  decreed  and  observed 
to  a  degree  unknown  before,  in  all  the  one  hundred  and 
twenty  and  seven  provinces  from  Ind  to  Ethiopia.  But  all 
this  did  not  come  about  at  once ;  but  by  degrees,  and  in  ways 
not  always  clear  to  the  reigning  monarch. 


XXXVI 


EVER  had  Amytis  looked  more  bewitching 
than  when  for  the  first  time  she  received 
Nathan,  Prince  of  Edom,  in  the  royal  gar 
den  pavilion.  She  was  garbed  all  in  white, 
and  the  lovely  simplicity  of  her  garments, 
like  rose  petals  folding  softly  one  above 
another,  was  not  marred  by  any  garish  ornament.  She 
trembled  slightly,  as  a  rose  also  trembles  when  it  unfurls  its 
scented  leaves  to  the  breath  of  summer,  when  she  beheld  the 
martial  young  figure  of  the  Commander  of  the  Immortals 
approaching. 

He  came  up  to  her  swiftly,  and  dropping  upon  one  knee, 
pressed  his  lips  to  the  white  hand  which  she  extended  to 
him. 

"  Sweet  Princess,"  he  murmured,  "  I  am  your  bondman 
from  this  day,  and  for  always." 

Her  eyes  beamed  ecstatic  happiness  upon  him. 

"  You  have  spoken  with  the  king  ?  "  she  whispered. 

He  bowed  his  head. 

334 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  Would  I  dare,  think  you,  to  speak  with  you  thus — 
and  here,  had  I  not  the  permission  of  Xerxes?" 

The  rosy  color  which  had  flooded  the  face  of  the  young 
girl  at  the  touch  of  his  lips  upon  her  hand  paled  a  little. 

"  Tell  me,"  she  cried  imperiously,  "  just  what  was  said. 
I  could  not  bear " 

She  stopped  short  and  fixed  her  blue  eyes  upon  his  face. 

"  I  would  hear  one  thing  from  you,"  she  murmured. 
"  Do  you  not  know  what  it  is,  or  must  I  put  the  words  into 
your  mouth  ?  " 

He  took  her  hand  and  led  her  to  a  marble  bench  heaped 
with  cushions. 

"  Let  us  sit  here,  Princess,  and  speak  of  all  that  is  in 
our  hearts  to  say.  We  must  needs  know  each  other  better 
than  at  present,  if  we  are  to  expect  any  happiness  in  the 
future." 

His  words  caused  a  flush  of  joy  to  mount  to  her  cheeks, 
while  she  trembled  with  sweet  terror  at  his  touch;  yet  the 
indefinable  sadness  of  his  voice  made  itself  felt  in  all  her  joy. 

She  raised  her  eyes  timidly  to  the  dark,  handsome  face 
bent  toward  her. 

"  You  have  not  yet  told  me  that  you  love  me,"  she 
whispered. 

"  Words  are  but  weak  things,"  he  said  gravely.  "  Let 
the  strong  devotion  of  a  life  speak  for  me." 

"  Yet  I  would  hear  you  say  it,"  she  persisted,  anxious 
as  any  shepherdess  to  taste  the  sweet  folly  of  love  as  she  had 
dreamed  it. 

"  Nay,  let  me  ask  you.     Do  you  love  me,  Princess  ?  " 

"  Do  I  love  you  ?  Ah,  you  know  that  I  do.  Almost 
am  I  ashamed  that  you  know  it  already ;  yet  the  daughter  of 
the  Great  King  must  know  no  shame.  So  I  say  to  you  freely, 
I  love  you ;  with  all  my  heart  and  soul  I  love  you.  In  truth 
and  purity  I  love  you.  For  your  sake  I  would  resign  life 
itself  and  all  that  is  dear  and  beautiful  in  the  world.  With 

335 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


you  I  would  sleep  in  the  cold  grave,  rather  than  wake  with 
out  you  in  the  sunshine." 

His  eyes  filled  with  a  mist  of  tears.  Ah,  this  was  indeed 
true  love;  no  one  knew  it  better  than  he.  And  how  must 
he  reward  this  devotion,  which  indeed  spoke  eloquently  in 
word,  yet  far  more  eloquently  in  the  sweet  face  uplifted  to 
his.  He  resolved  on  a  sudden  that  there  should  be  naught 
but  perfect  truth  between  them.  Nay,  more;  he  would  sur 
render  his  bruised  life  into  her  tender  keeping,  to  heal  if 
this  might  be. 

"  May  I  tell  you  everything  about  myself  ?  "  he  asked, 
taking  her  soft  fingers  in  his  own  and  holding  them  close. 

"  Ah,  yes ;  tell  me  everything — even  though  it  will  hurt 
me  to  know  that  you  have  loved  another.  But  you  will  love 
me ;  will  not  you  ?  " 

He  could  not  resist  the  appeal  in  her  eyes. 

"  I  should  be  an  ingrate  did  I  not  love  you  with  the 
truest  devotion  of  which  my  heart  is  capable,"  he  answered 
in  all  sincerity.  "  But  I  have  been  sorely  wounded,  sweet 
Princess,  and  I  fear  that  I  cannot  make  you  as  happy  as  you 
deserve." 

She  dropped  her  eyes  with  a  sigh. 

"  Tell  me  all,"  she  said. 

"  You  know  something  of  my  birth  and  parentage,"  he 
began. 

"  Yes,"  she  said  briefly.  "  The  woman  Abihail  told  me 
that  you  were  of  the  blood  royal  and  of  kin  to  Esther." 

"  That  is  true.  I  am  of  kin  to  Hadassah — who  is  now 
called  Esther — and  a  ward  of  Mordecai's.  This  explains 
how  it  was  that  we  were  brought  up  like  brother  and  sister." 

His  voice  was  calm  and  unconstrained,  and  Amytis 
breathed  a  faint  sigh  of  relief. 

"  And  truly,"  he  continued,  after  a  brief  silence, 
"  Hadassah  loved  me  even  as  a  brother.  Of  this  I  am  now 
confident;  though  when  we  were  together  in  the  old  days  I 

336 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


hoped — I  believed  that  she  loved  me,  even  as  I  loved  her. 
It  is  past  now,  and  I  shall  not  again  speak  of  it,  since  Ha- 
dassah  has  become  Esther,  and  is  now  the  king's  wife.  But 
for  this  once  I  must  speak,  because  I " 

He  paused  for  a  few  slow  heart-beats;  then  went  on, 
his  head  drooped,  his  eyes  clouded  with  sadness. 

"  She  did  not  love  me  as  I  loved  her,"  he  went  on ;  "  but 
love,  like  the  wind,  comes  when  and  where  it  will.  It  can 
not  be  forced.  It  cannot  be  denied.  Since  then  I  have  been 
as  a  wraith  walking  among  living  men.  I  have  wooed  death 
more  ardently  than  a  man  wooes  the  mistress  he  adores;  but 
death  also  passed  me  by.  Twice  has  my  horse  been  stricken 
under  me ;  thrice  have  I  plucked  a  spent  arrow  from  my  hel 
met.  And  once  a  spear  aimed  directly  at  my  heart  struck 
the  amulet  you  gave  me  long  ago,  and  fell  harmless  at  my 
feet." 

He  felt  her  hand  tremble  in  his  clasp;  but  she  said 
nothing. 

"  And  now,"  he  said,  looking  deep  into  her  eyes,  "  love 
again  knocks  at  my  door;  but  the  heart  within  seems  dead, 
and  cannot  rise  and  open.  What  must  I  do?  " 

"  Your  heart  is  not  dead !  "  she  cried  passionately.  "  It 
is  cruelly  hurt,  perchance,  and  untended  by  any  loving  hand 
hath  languished  long;  but  it  may  be  healed  and  live  again." 

"  Knowing  this,  my  Amytis,  do  you  still  love  me?"  he 
asked. 

"  I  but  love  you  the  more,"  she  whispered,  "  because  you 
need  me." 

And  the  heart  he  had  supposed  long  since  dead  and 
wrapped  in  cold  cerements  of  the  past  stirred  a  little  within 
his  breast,  as  he  gazed  at  the  woman  who  had  listened  to 
his  confession  so  bravely,  yet  whose  eyes,  even  as  she  spoke, 
were  glistening  with  tears  of  anguish  for  his  hurts  and  her 
own.  He  opened  his  arms  wide  to  her. 

"  Come  to  me,  my  Amytis,"  he  said  tenderly.  "  May 
•  337 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


the  gods  count  me  accursed  if  I  do  not  cherish  thee  with  all 
the  tenderness  of  my  soul !  " 

And  Amytis  was  well  content  as  she  rested  in  his  loved 
embrace  and  felt  his  kiss  upon  her  forehead ;  for  she  believed 
that  she  could  yet  banish  this  pale  wraith  of  an  affection 
which  had  never  really  lived ;  since  love  is  true  and  vital  only 
when  it  springs  from  two  hearts,  and  is  enfolded  warmly 
between  them. 

While  the  young  lovers  talked  thus  together  in  the  closed 
pavilion  of  the  king's  garden,  and  the  autumn  winds  wailed 
without,  whirling  the  dead  leaves  in  vain  assaults  against  its 
marble  walls,  and  bowing  the  faded  flowers  earthward, 
where  they  were  soon  to  lie  forgotten  in  the  promise  of  an 
other  spring,  two  queens  were  holding  converse  of  quite  an 
other  sort  in  an  apartment  of  the  royal  house,  known  as 
the  Palace  of  Rhododendrons. 

Here  the  mother  of  Amytis,  now  supinely  lapsed  into 
an  unlovely  middle  age,  talked  with  that  redoubtable  person 
age,  Queen  Atossa,  who  appeared  to  have  arrived  at  that 
period  of  life  where  a  woman  of  intellect  often  lingers  ap 
parently  unchanged  from  year  to  year,  defiant  of  time,  and 
resenting  the  encroachments  of  old  age. 

Atossa  was,  as  usual,  vividly  alive  from  the  crown  of  her 
head  to  the  tips  of  her  little  feet,  encased  in  their  high-heeled 
shoes,  whose  golden  heels  tapped  angrily  upon  the  marble 
of  the  pavement,  as  she  endeavored  to  infuse  something  of 
her  own  life  and  energy  into  the  large,  supine  figure  reposed 
among  the  purple  cushions  of  the  divan. 

"  What  you  say  is  quite,  quite  true,"  sighed  Amestris, 
her  dull  face  twisted  into  a  semblance  of  grief.  "  But  alas ! 
I  am  helpless.  I  have  no  influence  whatever  over  Amytis. 
She  is  too  much  like  her  father — willful,  imprudent,  hasty 
in  her  judgment — to  listen  to  counsel  which  I  am  ever  ready 
to  bestow." 

338 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  Of  course  you  are  helpless,  Amestris,"  snapped  Atossa. 
"  And  shortly  your  women  will  be  obliged  to  employ  eunuchs 
to  lift  you  on  and  off  your  couch.  Your  flesh  is  increasing 
beyond  anything  I  have  ever  seen.  Yet  you  still  persist  in 
sweetmeats,  I  am  told,  and  in  the  sipping  of  sherbets  mixed 
with  honey.  You  should  starve  a  week,  were  I  in  control 
of  your  table,  instead  of  being  stuffed  five  times  a  day  like 
a  peacock." 

"  I  am  sure  I  am  glad  that  you  cannot  control  my  food 
and  drink,"  Amestris  returned,  with  some  show  of  spirit. 
"  I  care  not  any  more  for  my  appearance.  And  why,  in 
deed,  should  I  care  ?  No  one  whose  opinion  I  value  admires 
me  any  more.  I  will  also  tell  you  that  I  do  not — and  have 
never — eaten  five  times  in  a  day.  At  sunrise  my  women 
fetch  me  a  draught  of  milk  mixed  with  a  certain  cordial, 
which  my  physicians  have  recommended,  and  which  I  find 
requisite  to  my  health.  Indeed,  I  should  not  venture  to  rise 
without  it.  An  hour  before  noonday,  having  eaten  nothing, 
I  partake  of  a  little  food;  a  bit  of  broiled  fowl,  perhaps, 
with  some  fruit  and  bread,  a  few  cakes,  and  a  cup  of  mild 
wine — nothing  heavy,  I  assure  you.  In  the  afternoon,  after 
my  siesta,  which  no  one  may  neglect  who  values  health,  I 
sip  a  sherbet  and  eat  a  morsel  of  the  white  honey  cake,  which 
my  cook  compounds  to  perfection.  Really,  my  Atossa,  it  is 
beyond  anything  I  have  seen,  even  on  your  own  table,  or 
on  the  table  of  the  king.  And  you  know  I  used  to  dine  with 
Xerxes  frequently  before  my  misfortune." 

The  divorced  queen  raised  her  handkerchief  to  her  eyes, 
while  her  dull  voice  droned  on.  "  Of  course,  having  eaten 
nothing  all  day,  as  I  have  described  to  you,  I  am  faint  with 
hunger  when  the  hour  of  banqueting  arrives,  and  at  this 
hour  I  permit  myself  a  full  meal  of  such  viands  as  my  phy 
sicians  approve.  And  may  I  ask  you,  have  you  tasted  the 
new  dish  composed  of  birds  of  various  sorts,  drawn  and 
stuffed  with  bread  crumbs  soaked  in  oil  and  flavored  with 

339 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


garlic,  then  roasted  carefully  before  a  slow  fire?  If  you 
have  not,  let  me  urge  you " 

"  Faugh !  I  cannot  abide  garlic  in  anything,  and  you 
keep  yourself  continuously  steeped  in  it,  I  perceive,"  inter 
rupted  Atossa  contemptuously.  "  It  is  the  flavor  most  liked 
by  the  Hebrews,  I  am  told,  so  perchance  you  will  be  recon 
ciled  to  your  Hebrew  son-in-law  and  to  the  half  Hebrew 
grandchildren  who  will  presently  gambol  about  you." 

"  I  had  not  thought  of  grandchildren,"  Amestris  returned 
eagerly.  "  It  will  be  pleasant  to  again  caress  a  little  child, 
and  to  feel  that  it  is,  in  a  way,  my  own.  But  Amytis,  they 
say,  will  not  live  at  Shushan.  So  perhaps,  after  all,  I  shall 
be  alone." 

Atossa  burst  into  one  of  her  fits  of  wicked  laughter. 

"  No ;  Amytis  will  not  reside  at  Shushan ;  of  this  you 
may  be  well  assured,  since  she  is  to  marry  a  lover  of  that 
wonderful  Esther,  who  is  having  all  things  her  own  way 
in  these  days.  Xerxes  will  see  to  it  that  the  young  Prince 
of  Edom,  as  they  call  him,  is  removed  to  some  distant  satrapy, 
well  out  of  sight  and  sound  of  the  court." 

"  Perhaps  she  will  be  happier  so,"  sighed  Amestris 
vaguely.  "  I  see  no  advantage  in  living  at  court." 

The  old  queen  struck  her  staff  sharply  upon  the  floor. 

"  Look  at  me!  "  she  commanded. 

Amestris  started  with  an  affected  shiver. 

"  You  are  so  unnecessarily  abrupt,"  she  complained. 
"  And  you  know  that  I  cannot  bear  any  disturbing  sounds 
whatever  since  my  misfortune.  My  physicians  have  for 
bidden " 

"  Fool!  "  muttered  Atossa.  "  If  it  were  not  for  the  fact 
that  I  must  have  your  money  I  would  not  trouble  to  talk 
with  you." 

"  My  money !  "  exclaimed  Amestris,  half  raising  herself 
among  her  cushions,  and  speaking  with  surprising  energy. 
"  You  have  money  enough  of  your  own.  You  cannot  have 

340 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


mine.  I  am  saving  it  all  for  my  poor  children,"  she  con 
cluded,  sinking  back  with  a  moan. 

"  They  are  likely  enough  to  need  it,"  agreed  Atossa 
caustically.  "  Xerxes  pays  little  heed  to  his  sons,  who  are 
growing  up  into  idle  revelers.  They  should  be  trained  into 
hardy  warriors  and  sagacious  rulers  under  the  strictest  sur 
veillance;  but  nothing  is  being  done  for  their  education,  as 
it  should  be.  I  am  old  now,  and  I  cannot  do  what  I  would 
for  my  grandsons;  but  being  old  I  have  also  the  eye  which 
looks  into  the  future,  and  I  see — terrible  things!  " 

Amestris,  ever  the  most  superstitious  of  women,  repressed 
a  faint  scream.  And,  indeed,  the  appearance  of  the  old 
queen  was  little  short  of  terrifying,  as  she  stood  on  tiptoe, 
her  thin  figure  strained  upward,  her  fiery  blue  eyes  fixed 
and  staring. 

"  I  see,"  muttered  Atossa,  observing  the  effect  of  this, 
her  theatrical  art,  upon  her  daughter-in-law,  with  sly  satis 
faction,  "  the  Achaemenian  line — the  royal  blood  of  the  great 
Cyrus  and  the  no  less  great  Darius — being  diverted  into 
base  channels.  I  see — a  half-Hebrew  prince,  son  of  Xerxes, 
son  of  Esther  the  Jewess,  who  has  stolen  your  name  and 
place,  sitting  upon  the  throne  of  Persia  and  Media.  He  is 
married  to  a  Hebrew  wife.  All  his  counselors  and  min 
isters  are  Hebrews.  His  children  are  Hebrew.  Beyond,  in 
the  sacred  hills  where  lie  the  dishonored  remains  of  Xerxes 
and  his  three  murdered  sons " 

Amestris  shrieked  aloud. 

"  Forbear!  "  she  entreated.    "  I  cannot  listen  any  more!  " 

"  — his  three  murdered  sons'1  repeated  Atossa  in  hollow 
tones,  "  for  all  are  fallen  beneath  the  sword  of  the  alien 
prince  who  sits  upon  the  throne  of  dead  Xerxes.  I  see  the 
sacred  altars  thrown  down,  and  the  pure  worship  of  Ahura- 
Mazda  replaced  with  the  worship  of  Jehovah,  whose  altars 
are  ever  drenched  with  the  blood  of  base  animals,  and  whose 
priests  despise  the  truth  taught  by  our  sacred  Zoroaster. 

341 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


All  this  I  see,  and  more.  I  see  an  aged  woman,  bereft  of 
her  children,  of  her  fortune,  of  her  luxuries,  living  alone 
and  almost  untended  in  one  of  the  meanest  of  the  chambers 
allotted  to  the  concubines.  Who  is  this  woman  ?  " 

Atossa's  voice  sank  to  a  rasping  whisper.  She  strained 
her  terrible  eyes  yet  wider. 

"  I  see  clearly  now !  The  woman  is  old  and  weary  of 
life;  yet  death  comes  not  to  relieve  her.  She  is  half  blind, 
sick,  sorrowful,  lonely,  despised;  for  she  is  the  discarded 
queen  of  the  king  who  long  since  died  at  the  hand  of  a 
Hebrew  slave — slain  that  his  Hebrew  son  might  reign  in 
his  stead.  The  woman  is  Amestris,  sport  of  the  gods!  sport 
of  the  Hebrews,  who  have  made  of  her  a  byword  and  a  hiss 
ing  !  '  Look,'  say  they,  '  at  the  woman  who  would  not  raise 
so  much  as  a  finger  to  save  her  own  flesh  and  blood !  Look 
at  the  ugly  ruin  which,  they  say,  was  once  a  beautiful  woman 
and  a  queen!  Look  at  the  imbecile  who  might  have  made 
strong  the  dynasty  of  the  Achaemenidae,  but  who  chose  in 
stead  to  lie  among  soft  cushions  all  day,  eating  and  drinking 
the  fat  of  Persia!  Let  her  starve!  Let  her  perish  with 
hunger!  Let  her  dead  flesh  also  be  exposed  to  scorn 
and '  " 

"  Stop !  You  shall  stop !  "  cried  Amestris,  in  tones  of 
frenzied  supplication.  She  sprang  from  her  divan  and 
grasped  the  old  queen  by  the  shoulders.  "  Stop !  Do  you 
hear  me?  These  things  shall  never  be!  I,  Amestris,  will 
prevent  them !  I — nay,  what  shall  I  do  ?  " 

She  was  about  to  sink  back  among  her  cushions  in  a 
paroxysm  of  weak  sobbing,  but  Atossa  craftily  caught  her  by 
the  hand,  and  pulled  her  by  main  force  away  from  the  divan. 

"  I  have  frightened  you,  have  I  ?  "  she  said.  "  Well,  I 
am  glad  of  it.  For  mark  you,  woman,  every  word  that 
I  have  spoken  is  true  prophecy,  and  will  surely  come  to  pass 
if  you  do  not  set  your  face  against  it  like  a  flint.  I  will  help 
you;  but  I  am  old,  and  my  strength  wavers,  nor  have  I  gold 

342 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


enough  in  my  treasury  at  present  to  do  what  must  be  done. 
Now  listen !  " 

For  Amestris  was  already  arranging  the  folds  of  her 
veil,  and  twisting  the  bracelets  on  her  fat  arms  so  as  to 
bring  the  jewels  into  view.  "  Listen,  I  say,  if  for  one  mo 
ment  you  can  keep  your  silly  thoughts  from  roaming." 

"  I  am  listening,"  replied  Amestris  sulkily ;  "  but  you 
frightened  me  so  that  I  ought,  I  am  sure,  to  take  some  cor 
dial.  My  very  lips  are  dry  and  burning,  as  if  you  had  seared 
them  with  a  hot  iron.  Let  me  order  sherbet,  I  beg!  " 

"Do  it,  and  I  will  leave  you,  never  to  return!  This 
is  no  time  to  be  sipping  sherbets." 

Amestris  sighed,  her  eyes  wandering  to  the  curtained 
doorway,  beyond  which  her  slaves  ever  waited  to  do  her 
bidding. 

"  At  least,"  she  said,  "  permit  me  to  sit  down.  I  am 
positively  unable  to  stand,  I  tremble  so  excessively,  and  my 
heart " 

"  Sit  here,  then,  and  pay  strict  attention  to  what  I  shall 
say." 

And  Atossa  pushed  a  chair  toward  her  daughter-in-law 
with  an  impatient  hand. 

"  Esther,  Mordecai,  and  this  Prince  of  Edom,  who  has 
dared  to  raise  his  eyes  to  my  granddaughter — all  three  must 
be  put  out  of  the  way.  But  how  ?  " 

"  It  is  not  difficult  to  make  people  ill,  I  have  heard, 
through  their  food,"  hesitated  Amestris.  "  I  never  did  any 
thing  of  the  sort.  I  could  not;  but  you " 

"  I  should  not  hesitate  to  poison  them,"  the  old  queen 
said,  with  a  cold  malignity  of  purpose  in  her  eyes,  before 
which  the  younger  woman  trembled  vaguely.  "  But  Mor 
decai — may  the  curses  of  Ahriman  light  upon  him — has 
replaced  every  attendant  of  Xerxes  by  Hebrews,  and " 

"Xerxes!"  murmured  Amestris,  clutching  at  the  arms 
of  her  chair.  "  You  would  not  poison  your  own  son !  " 

343 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  No,  fool.  But  the  attendants  of  Xerxes  are  now  those 
of  Esther,  the  Babylonish  Hebrew — at  least  at  table.  They 
eat  from  the  same  dishes  every  day — my  son  and  the  Jewess 
— and  what  reaches  her  must  also  reach  him.  Do  you  not 
see?  And  I  cannot  buy  her  eunuchs.  I  have  tried." 

"  You  might  more  easily  manage  the  case  of  the  two 
men,"  suggested  Amestris,  "  though  I  like  not  to  think  of 
my  daughter  grieving  over  the  man  she  loves.  She  would 
never  forgive  me  if  she  knew  I  talked  with  you  thus." 

"  Forgive  you?  Had  you  thought  of  asking  the  forgive 
ness  of  Amytis  ?  Repeat  to  anyone  a  syllable  of  what  I  have 
said  to  you  to-day,  and  your  next  food  shall  contain  a  sub 
stance  which  will  cause  you  to  die  in  agonies.  Not  too  soon, 
either.  You  would  linger  long  enough  to  exchange  farewell 
curses  with  me,  I  promise  you  that !  " 

"  I — I — swear  to  you  that  I  will  tell  no  one !  Only  do 
not  tamper  with  my  food,  dear,  good  queen!  Nay,  you 
have  already  frightened  me  so  that  I  fear  I  shall  be  unable 
to  eat,  even  in  mine  own  poor  house,  where  Xerxes  would 
have  me  dwell  in  such  peace  and  happiness  as  I  can  find 
away  from  him.  You  will  promise  me  not  to — to — poison 
me?  I — I  entreat  you,  great  queen !  " 

"  I'll  not  poison  you,  if  you  are  careful  to  do  as  I  bid 
you." 

"  I  will !  I  will !  I  am  ready  to  do  even  now  whatever 
you  require." 

"  Well,  then,  I  require  nothing  at  present  beyond  ten 
thousand  darics.  This  I  must  have  to  carry  out  my  pur 
poses." 

"Ten  thousand  darics!  Nay,  I  have  them  not.  But 
you  mean  silver  darics.  Of  course,  I  had  not  considered." 

"  I  mean  gold  darics.  And  you  will  get  them  for  me, 
or — "  The  old  queen  made  a  significant  gesture. 

"  You  do  not  care  about  the  future  of  your  children,  I 
perceive,"  she  went  on,  "  nor  have  you  any  regard  for  the 

344 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


Achaemenian  line;  but  your  body  and  its  sensations,  pleasur 
able  or  otherwise,  interests  you  intensely.  So  also  is  it  with 
meaner  animals.  But  so  be  it.  Furnish  me  the  gold,  and 
you  shall  live  to  eat  peaceably,  and  die  of  your  surfeit  when 
the  gods  will.  Fail  me,  and  you  die  at  the  hour  and  in  the 
manner  I  shall  choose." 

Amestris  moistened  her  dry  lips  with  another  longing 
look  toward  the  curtained  doorway,  from  behind  which  de 
licious  odors  were  beginning  to  find  their  way.  It  was  the 
hour  for  the  noonday  breakfast,  but  Atossa  was  merciless. 

"  I  will  try  to  do  what  I  can  to  gather  the  enormous  sum 
you  have  mentioned,"  she  said  with  scant  breath.  "  More 
than  that  I  cannot  say  now." 

Atossa  stared  at  her  keenly. 

"  You  are  thinking  of  your  food  again,"  she  said 
viciously,  "  and  of  the  delicacies  your  slaves  are  preparing 
even  now  for  your  palate.  But  you  have  not  asked  me  why  I 
require  all  this  gold.  You  merely  wish  to  rid  yourself  of  me 
in  order  that  you  may  feed  in  your  trough  of  gold." 

This  last  insult  proved  too  much  for  the  overwrought 
nerves  of  the  weak,  easily  influenced  woman,  whose  interest 
in  life  had  indeed  narrowed  to  the  scant  circumference  of  a 
golden  dish.  She  burst  into  loud  weeping. 

"  You  are  a  wicked,  cruel  woman !  "  she  managed  to  ar 
ticulate  between  her  sobs.  "  I  fear  and  hate  you  more  than 
I  can  say.  Poison  me,  if  you  will.  I  shall  but  fly  away 
beyond  your  reach.  I  did  not  ask  you  why  you  wish  to  rob 
me,  because  I  know  right  well  that  it  can  only  mean  death 
and  dishonor  to  some  unhappy  person.  And  I  am  not  a  mur 
deress,  whatever  else  I  may  be !  " 

Atossa  rushed  to  the  door  in  a  foaming  rage. 

"  I  shall  send  a  slave  for  the  gold  to-morrow !  "  she  cried. 
"  I  shall  use  it  and  you  as  I  will !  But  you  mistake,  glutton ; 
I  am  a  patriot  and  the  preserver  of  the  kingdom — not  a 
murderess/  " 

345 


SS5. 


XXXVII 

O  Mordecai,  absorbed  in  his  new  and  ardu 
ous  duties,  and  to  Esther,  happier  than  she 
had  dreamed  in  the  renewed  trust  and  con 
fidence  of  the  king,  and  in  the  realization 
of  splendid  success,  there  came  no  thought 
of  that  ancient  and  crafty  spider,  Atossa, 
spinning,  noiselessly  and  in  secret,  a  vast,  far-reaching  web, 
meant  to  entangle  and  destroy  every  Hebrew  in  Persia. 

To  the  perfecting  of  her  schemes  Atossa  bent  every  en 
ergy  of  a  keen  and  powerful  intellect.  For  once  in  her  life 
she  cast  aside  all  mean  and  petty  self-interest,  all  pride,  vain 
glory,  and  love  of  luxury,  and  gave  herself,  with  a  devotion 
worthy  of  a  better  cause,  to  the  preservation  of  the  Achas- 
menian  line.  Her  paid  agents  in  every  city  and  province 
were  busy  in  arming  and  encouraging  all  the  known  enemies 
of  the  Jews — and  these  were  many.  The  king's  second 
decree,  these  agents  represented,  was  wrung  from  him  by 
his  queen,  who  was  herself  a  Hebrew  and  doomed  to  per 
ish  miserably  at  the  hands  of  those  in  high  places,  who 

346 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


deplored  the  mad  infatuation  of  Xerxes,  which  was  said  to 
have  become  a  dangerous  obsession.  The  first  decree,  still 
immutable  and  binding  upon  all  loyal  subjects  of  the  crown, 
must  be  obeyed ;  and  this  view  of  the  case  was  found  to 
gain  ready  acceptance  in  the  minds  of  the  many  who  feared 
and  hated  the  Hebrew  rule.  So  the  months  passed,  and  the 
dread  thirteenth  of  Adar  drew  on  apace,  and  as  yet  no  one 
had  discovered  the  steady  stream  of  gold  passing  out  from  the 
hands  of  Atossa  to  the  furtherance  of  her  ends,  nor  the  slow 
gathering  of  a  second  storm  below  the  horizon. 

In  the  late  autumn  the  court  was  removed  to  Babylon 
for  the  winter  months;  but  Atossa  chose  to  remain  behind, 
pleading  her  advanced  age  and  her  dread  of  the  journey. 
The  king,  not  altogether  grieved  by  this  decision,  and  choos 
ing  to  believe  her  alleged  reasons,  paid  his  mother  a  visit 
of  ceremony  before  departing  for  the  far  south. 

He  found  her  plainly  robed,  propped  up  by  purple 
cushions,  and  looking  frail  and  old.  She  gave  him  her  white, 
fragile  fingers  with  a  smile. 

"  You  find  your  aged  mother  supporting  the  growing 
infirmities  of  her  years  with  such  fortitude  as  becomes  a 
daughter  of  Cyrus,  who  ever  scorned  the  disabilities  of  the 
body  to  revel  in  the  pleasures  of  the  mind,"  she  said,  with 
a  well-assumed  languor. 

Xerxes  was  touched  by  the  look  of  real  affection  in  her 
eyes. 

"  I  would  that  you  might  journey  with  us,  my  mother," 
he  said.  "  Our  happiness  will  be  incomplete  without  your 
presence." 

"  Right  glad  am  I  to  hear  you  say  so,  my  son,"  said 
Atossa,  with  sad  dignity.  "  I  have  felt  at  times  like  the 
wraith  of  another  age,  as  I  beheld  you  happy  and  forgetful 
of  the  cares  of  state  with  your  queen." 

"  I  am  able  to  forget  care  for  a  little  time,  because  at 
last  I  have  found  a  minister  whom  I  can  fully  trust,"  said 
23  347 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


Xerxes.     "  Do  not,  I  pray  you,  grudge  me  a  little  hap 
piness." 

"  The  happiness  of  a  king  should  consist  in  nothing  per 
sonal,  but  rather  in  seeking  after  the  best  interests  of  his 
kingdom." 

"  This  I  have  done,  my  mother,  in  appointing  Matacas 
to  the  post  of  chief  counselor.  He  is  most  efficient,  and  en 
dowed  with  the  spirit  of  wisdom  above  all  men." 

"  So  thought  you  of  Haman,"  retorted  the  old  queen. 
"  And  now  Haman  is  dead,  and  all  his  brood.  How  can 
you  be  sure  of  the  Hebrew?  " 

The  king's  head  dropped  upon  his  breast. 

"  There  is  nothing  certain  in  this  world,  save  death," 
he  said,  in  his  former  tones  of  melancholy  and  despair.  "  So 
sure  am  I  of  eternal  sleep  that  already  my  tomb  is  pre 
pared  in  the  Double  Mountain,  beside  that  of  my  father. 
But  next  to  death  itself  I  would  trust  Matacas." 

Atossa's  blue  eyes  flew  wide  with  ready  suspicion. 

"  Your  queen,"  she  said;  "  has  she  again  deceived  you?  " 

"  Not  so.  My  Esther  is  as  guileless  as  she  has  ever  been. 
Always  she  longed  to  open  to  me  her  heart,  but  Matacas 
deemed  it  unwise." 

"  Matacas  was  entirely  right,"  muttered  Atossa. 

After  a  little  silence  she  spoke  again. 

"  You  should  name  the  succession,  if  you  have  not  al 
ready  done  so,  my  son." 

The  king  looked  troubled. 

"  The  matter  has  been  often  in  my  mind  of  late,"  he  said ; 
"  but  I  cannot  choose  between  my  sons.  No  one  of  them  is 
fit  to  rule  the  kingdom;  and  I  fear — I  fear " 

"  Darius  is  oldest  of  the  three,  and  named  for  the  great 
king,  your  father.  What  shall  prevent  him  from  the  suc 
cession  ?  " 

Atossa  spoke  sharply,  and  the  king  drew  his  black  brows 
together  in  perplexed  thought. 

348 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  Darius  is,  as  you  say,  the  first-born ;  but  he  is  of  a 
weak,  indolent  nature,  like  his  mother.  Now  that  he  has 
married  the  daughter  of  Meres  he  appears  to  have  given 
himself  up  to  all  follies  and  excesses.  I  doubt  not  the  woman 
has  driven  him  to  it." 

"So,  being  woman  driven,  he  may  not  rule?"  sneered 
Atossa,  for  the  moment  forgetting  her  role  of  semi-invalidism 
and  extreme  old  age. 

The  king  darted  an  angry  look  at  her. 

"  Being  little  better  than  a  tool  of  Meres,  Darius  shall 
not  wear  my  crown,"  he  said  firmly.  "  I  have  watched  him, 
tested  him;  he  has  failed  each  time.  He  can  never  be  king 
by  word  of  my  mouth." 

"What  of  Hystaspes,  your  second  son?"  asked  Atossa. 
She  had  again  closed  her  eyes,  and  lay  the  image  of  reverend 
and  wise  old  age. 

The  king  smote  his  knee  with  his  broad  palm. 

"  Hystaspes  is  also  unfit,"  he  said.  "  He  has  exceeded 
his  authority  as  Satrap  of  Bactria  in  many  ways,  and  his 
affairs  are  in  continual  confusion.  Twice  have  I  sent  a  com 
mission  to  arrange  matters  pertaining  to  the  government; 
and  again  is  revolt  threatened  by  the  Bactrians,  because  of 
the  follies  and  abuses  emanating  from  my  son.  Could 
Hystaspes  long  retain  the  double  crown  of  Persia  and  Media, 
think  you  ?  " 

"  Hystaspes  is  also  the  son  of  his  mother,  and  she  is  a 
fool,"  murmured  Atossa.  "  A  man  should  look  well  to  him 
self  when  selecting  the  mother  of  his  sons." 

"  You  chose  Amestris  for  my  queen,"  he  reminded  her. 
He  was  growing  weary  of  the  protracted  interview.  His 
look  and  gesture  warned  Atossa  of  this. 

"  Do  not  leave  me  yet,"  she  entreated,  laying  her  thin 
hand  upon  his  arm.  "  Not  often  do  I  have  the  opportunity 
of  speaking  thus  quietly  with  you,  my  son.  And  you  are 
about  to  leave  me.  Perchance  ere  you  return  I  shall  be 

349 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


called  to  join  your  father,  and  my  poor  body  laid  in  the 
niche  reserved  for  me  at  his  side  in  the  closed  tomb  of  the 
Double  Mountain.  The  matter  of  the  succession  troubles 
me.  What  of  Artaxerxes  ?  " 

"  Artaxerxes!  "  exclaimed  the  king.  And  he  laughed  bit 
terly.  "  Artaxerxes  is  but  a  petulant  child.  But  this  morn 
ing  he  played  at  ball  in  the  palace  garden ;  presently  the  ball 
was  lost  among  the  shrubs  and  he  ordered  his  slaves  to  fetch 
it;  and  when  they  could  not  at  once  find  it,  he  commanded 
them  to  kneel  before  him  while  he  punished  each  of  them 
by  thrusting  his  toy  dagger  into  the  palm  of  the  right  hand." 
'  'Twas  the  act  of  a  future  monarch,"  said  the  boy's 
grandmother  proudly.  "  Name  Artaxerxes,  I  entreat  you. 
Such  a  lad  will  grow  into  the  firm  and  resolute  ruler,  whose 
subjects  will  yield  him  unquestioning  obedience." 

Again  the  king's  brow  was  overcast. 

"  I  will  not  name  Artaxerxes,"  he  said.  "  The  time 
calls  not  for  cruelty  and  tyranny;  but  for  justice,  tempered 
with  mercy ;  for  wise  and  good  laws,  equably  administered ; 
for  a  firm  yet  loving  rule.  I  see  this  now;  and  I  perceive 
that  I  have  failed  miserably  in  governing  my  kingdom  as  I 
ought.  I  have  thought  too  often  of  my  own  pleasure  and 
convenience  and  too  little  of  my  people.  Nay;  the  king  has 
yet  to  be  born  who  will  rule  his  people  in  perfect  equity." 

"  Think  you  that  this  just  king  will  be  of  the  Hebrew 
race?"  inquired  Atossa,  with  careful  control  of  her  features 
and  eyes. 

The  king  appeared  lost  in  the  contemplation  of  some  in 
ward  vision.  He  raised  his  eyes  slowly. 

"  The  king  who  shall  rule  the  whole  earth  in  perfect 
justice,  yet  with  love  and  mercy,  will  be  of  the  Hebrew 
race,"  he  said  slowly;  "  for  this  have  the  sages  and  prophets 
revealed." 

"  What  sages  and  what  prophets,  my  son,  have  so  re 
vealed  the  future?"  asked  Atossa,  still  preserving  every  ap- 

350 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


pearance  of  patient  mildness  and  gentle  sincerity,  albeit  with 
difficulty  unguessed  by  the  king. 

"  The  sages  and  prophets  of  the  Hebrew  race,"  replied 
the  unsuspecting  king.  "  I  have  read  them  much  of  late  in 
my  hours  of  leisure,  and  the  reign  of  such  a  king  is  plainly 
foretold.  Why  should  this  perfect  one  not  appear  in  my 
kingdom,  and  as  a  scion  of  my  line  ?  " 

"  Why,  indeed  ? "  echoed  Atossa,  clenching  her  thin 
hands  beneath  the  coverlid,  in  her  efforts  to  control  her 
growing  indignation.  "  You  have  a  Hebrew  wife.  Shortly 
you  are  to  have  a  Hebrew  son,  I  am  told.  And  perchance 
this  son  will  sit  upon  your  throne,  and  administer  this 
perfect  justice.  Is  it  of  this  you  are  dreaming,  my 
Xerxes  ?  " 

"  I  will  not  deny  that  I  have  thought  of  it,"  acknowl 
edged  the  king,  his  eyes  still  fixed  and  thoughtful.  "  And 
why  should  it  not  be  so  ?  A  perfect  king,  ruling  over  my  vast 
kingdom!  Ay,  I  would  it  might  be  so!  " 

Atossa  bit  her  tongue  in  her  efforts  to  preserve  silence. 

"  Go,  my  son,"  she  said  at  last,  in  a  shaken  voice. 
"  Doubt  not  that  your  wondrous  ambitions  are  nursed  by 
the  gods,  who  ever  guard  the  affairs  of  nations  with  a  jeal 
ous  eye.  I  shall  not  live  to  see  a  Hebrew  king  upon  the 
Achaemenian  throne.  But  if  the  day  arrives  doubt  not  that 
my  spirit  will  be  with  you." 

The  king,  much  moved  by  these  words,  which  he  in 
terpreted  to  suit  the  tenor  of  his  own  thoughts,  bent  and 
kissed  his  mother  upon  the  forehead,  a  mark  of  affection 
most  unusual  with  him. 

"  Fare  thee  well,  my  mother,"  he  said.  "  I  have  left 
my  own  physician  to  guard  your  health,  and  the  wise  Mat- 
acas  will  also  remain  behind  to  administer  the  affairs  of  the 
palace." 

"  Matacas  remains?  "  exclaimed  the  old  queen.  "  I  was 
told  that  he  journeyed  with  you  to  Babylon." 

351 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  He  will  indeed  journey  with  us,"  the  king  said ;  "  but 
he  will  return  anon.  To  him  you  may  safely  entrust  all 
matters  which  I  would  care  for  in  your  behalf  were  I  to 
remain  here." 

Again  he  caressed  her,  with  the  gentleness  love  had 
taught  him,  and  left  her  to  her  malevolent  imaginings. 


XXXVIII 


HE  winter  months  passed  quickly  in  the  balm 
of  the  southern  capital.  In  Babylon,  that 
great  city  whose  solidly  built  walls  inclosed 
an  area  of  not  less  than  two  hundred  square 
miles,  were  to  be  found  all  imaginable  diver- 
tisements  and  occupations.  There  were  few 
if  any  crowded  streets,  except  those  bordering  on  the  banks 
of  the  Euphrates,  which  flowed  through  the  midst  of  the  city, 
dividing  it  in  effect  into  twin  cities  within  a  single  wall  and 
further  united  by  a  system  of  drawbridges,  used  by  day  only, 
and  drawn  up  during  the  night.  These  bridges,  swung  be 
tween  massive  piers  of  stone,  were  further  supplemented  for 
the  convenience  of  the  inhabitants  by  a  tunnel  dug  beneath 
the  bed  of  the  river,  and  solidly  constructed  from  closely 
joined  blocks  of  stone  clamped  with  bands  of  lead  and  iron. 
There  were  innumerable  boats,  also,  and  many  paved  landing 
places  descending  to  the  margin  of  the  river. 

"  The  city  of  a  hundred  gates  "  merited  its  name,  for 
each  of  its  double  walls  was  pierced  by  twenty-five  gates, 

353 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


each  gate  giving  entrance  to  a  broad,  paved  street  which 
crossed  the  inclosed  area  to  find  exit  through  another  gate 
in  the  opposite  wall,  thus  forming  a  mathematically  correct 
checkerboard  of  regular  blocks.  On  the  east  side  of  the  city 
were  the  houses  of  the  poorer  inhabitants,  built  of  sun-dried 
brick,  and  densely  crowded  near  the  river ;  but  in  the  western 
section  were  lofty  villas,  three  and  even  four  stories  in 
height,  surrounded  by  gardens,  orchards  and  fields  where 
vegetables  and  grains  were  grown.  It  was  the  boast  of  the 
builders  of  Babylon  that  its  inhabitants  in  time  of  siege  could 
grow  food  sufficient  for  their  own  consumption,  were  the  siege 
prolonged  to  months  and  even  years;  while  the  Euphrates 
was  thought  to  furnish  a  never-failing  supply  of  water.  Yet 
on  a  night  when  Belshazzar  and  his  nobles  feasted  in  arro 
gant  security,  the  Persian  Cyrus  had  entered  the  city  by 
way  of  the  river  bed,  and  having  diverted  the  water  into 
other  channels,  had  fallen  upon  the  drunken  revelers  in  their 
palace.  The  mysterious  hand  had  written  doom  against 
Babylon,  and  Babylon  the  Great  had  fallen. 

Yet  in  Babylon,  the  city  which  was  once  the  delight 
of  Nabopolassar  and  the  wonder  of  nations,  still  remained 
the  great  palace,  called  by  the  Babylonians  Tapratinisi,  "  the 
Marvel  of  Mankind,"  with  its  many  chambers,  its  lofty  tow 
ers,  its  high  place  of  royalty,  and  its  wondrous  hanging 
gardens.  And  here  the  Queen  of  Xerxes  passed  many  peace 
ful  days,  amid  such  delights  and  festivities  as  the  greatest 
of  monarchs  could  devise  for  the  pleasure  of  the  one  woman 
he  loved.  From  the  windows  of  her  chamber  in  the  gorgeous 
palace  of  the  Babylonian  kings,  Esther  could  see  the  seven 
stages  of  the  tower  of  Belus,  from  whence  Cyrus  had  torn 
the  golden  images  of  Beltis  and  Bel  in  the  year  of  his  con 
quest. 

Xerxes  was  minded  to  rase  the  tower,  also,  to  the  earth, 
being  a  hater  of  images  and  image  worship;  but  because  his 
queen  fancied  the  seven  colors  of  the  stages  upon  the  summit 

354 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


of  which  the  shrine  stood — colors  which  rivaled  the  glory 
of  the  sunrise,  ranging  from  the  golden  yellow  of  the  sun 
to  the  pale  silver  hue  of  the  moon — he  allowed  it  to  stand. 

From  the  apex  of  the  hanging  gardens,  which  the  king 
Nabonidus  had  caused  to  be  built  for  his  queen  Semiramis, 
Esther  could  look  away  over  the  great  city  of  her  birth, 
catching  the  broad  sheen  of  the  river  where  the  Hebrews 
had  once  sat  them  down  to  weep  and  lament  their  captivity. 
On  the  right  was  the  great  temple;  to  the  left  the  tower 
of  black  marble,  where  Daniel,  the  prophet,  had  dwelt  in 
his  later  days;  and  beyond  clustered  the  many  houses,  pal 
aces,  and  shrines,  to  the  mighty  double  wall,  studded  at 
regular  intervals  with  massive  towers  of  defense,  which  had 
yet  failed  to  preserve  the  city  and  the  kingdom  when  its  hour 
of  doom  had  struck. 

The  queen  was  reposing  in  one  of  the  stately  apartments 
of  the  garden,  open  on  its  eastward  side  to  the  many-hued 
panorama  of  the  ancient  city.  On  its  terraced  platform, 
curiously  built  upon  tiers  of  open  arches  like  the  walls  of  a 
classic  theater,  great  trees  stood  motionless  against  the  in 
tense  blue  of  the  sky,  and  dazzling  masses  of  roses,  pink,  yel 
low,  and  white,  clustered  at  the  bases  of  the  strange  statues 
symbolizing  the  seven  days  and  the  seven  sacred  planets. 
She  was  thinking  dreamily  of  the  past  years  of  her  life, 
begun  in  humility  and  sorrow  in  this  very  city,  and  now 
expanded  into  the  splendid  flower  of  royalty.  Mordecai  had 
already  returned  to  Shushan,  but  his  parting  words  re 
mained  with  the  queen,  ever  recurring  like  a  minor  strain 
of  music. 

"  You  are  happy,  my  Hadassah,"  he  said,  speaking  in  the 
Hebrew  tongue,  as  was  his  wont  when  greatly  moved ;  "  but 
forget  not  that  all  mercy  cometh  from  God.  It  is  he  who 
hath  cut  off  the  froward  Haman  from  before  thy  path.  Once 
again  have  I  seen  the  wicked  in  great  power;  yea,  spreading 
himself  like  a  green  bay  tree.  But  he  passed  away;  he  is 

355 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


not.  Yea,  if  one  seek  for  him,  he  shall  not  be  found !  But 
the  salvation  of  the  righteous  is  of  the  Lord.  He  is  our 
strength  in  time  of  trouble;  and  not  the  less,  my  Hadassah, 
in  the  days  of  prosperity.  Cease  not  to  pray  to  Jehovah  night 
and  morning,  at  noonday,  also,  as  thou  didst  in  the  hour  of 
thy  terror.  For  he  who  forgets  God  in  the  midst  of  pros 
perity  is  even  as  one  who  has  gained  a  single  victory  over  a 
crafty  enemy.  He  sleeps;  he  lies  down;  he  arises  to  feast, 
saying,  '  Mine  enemy  is  dead ;  therefore  I  may  forget  the  God 
who  delivered  me.  I  may  altogether  give  myself  to  revelry 
and  rejoicing.'  Then,  in  an  hour  when  he  thinks  not,  the 
enemy  falls  upon  that  man  and  utterly  destroys  him. 
Forget  not  that  Jehovah  is  the  fortress  of  your  salvation, 
my  child,  the  sole  shield  of  your  life  and  honor;  for  in  the 
day  and  hour  of  your  forgetfulness,  disaster  will  come  upon 
you  as  an  armed  man.  Pray,  therefore,  lest  you  forget;  and 
I,  also,  will  pray  for  you." 

Remembering  these  solemn  words  of  warning,  Esther's 
lips  moved  in  prayer;  while  on  the  terrace  without  her 
maidens  laughed  merrily,  the  sound  of  their  sweet  young 
voices  mingling  pleasantly  with  the  plash  of  many  fountains 
and  the  strains  of  distant  music  from  the  palace  below. 

Little  by  little,  as  she  mused  thus,  praying  at  intervals 
in  the  measured  cadences  to  which  her  child  lips  had  become 
wonted,  the  rich  paintings  and  tapestries  of  the  walls  ap 
peared  to  grow  dim,  dissolving  into  parti-colored  mists  like 
the  clouds  which  herald  the  rising  of  the  sun.  And  as  the 
mists  wavered  and  rose  in  blinding  folds,  rose-tinted,  golden, 
amethystine,  Esther  seemed  to  herself  to  arise  from  her 
couch  and  walk  toward  them.  And  as  she  went,  the  carven 
and  colored  walls  of  the  palace  still  further  receded  before 
her — grew  dimmer,  disappeared ;  and  at  once  she  found  her 
self  in  the  street  of  a  strange  city,  walking  amid  crowds 
of  hurrying  people,  but  quite  unafraid.  She  came  presently 
to  a  closed  house,  and  went  in.  How,  she  knew  not,  save 

356 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


that  she  passed  into  a  room  where  sat  two  men  counting 
gold.  Neither  of  the  men  looked  up,  nor  paid  any  heed  to 
the  queen  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  room  in  her  rich, 
trailing  robes  and  with  the  glimmer  of  jewels  on  her  breast, 
and  presently,  being  impelled  by  some  strange  influence 
which  she  did  not  pause  to  consider,  she  came  close  and 
looked  narrowly  at  what  she  saw. 

One  of  the  men  was  old  and  ugly.  He  wore  the  Per 
sian  dress,  and  had  his  kitaris,  or  Median  cap,  pulled  low 
upon  his  wrinkled  forehead.  He  it  was  who  counted  the 
gold.  Esther  looked  and  beheld  the  money,  that  it  was  all 
in  coins  of  an  equal  size,  each  coin  bearing  the  head  and 
superscription  of  Darius,  King  of  Persia.  These  coins  the 
man  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  table  received,  muttering  to 
himself  as  he  did  so.  Then,  for  the  first  time,  the  queen 
observed  further  the  queer,  shrunken  figure  of  a  scribe,  who 
squatted  cross-legged  between  the  two,  writing  upon 
a  parchment  the  figures  representing  the  piles  of  gold 
darics. 

"  It  is  not  enough,"  said  the  man  dressed  in  the  leathern 
jerkin  and  striped  woolen  tunic  of  the  Berbers.  "  I  must 
have  more." 

"  It  is  enough ;  and  if  you  will  not  do  the  queen's  work 
for  the  contents  of  this  bag,  I  must  give  it  to  another." 
The  Persian  also  added  a  foul  oath  to  these  words,  and 
Esther  would  have  turned  to  go  away,  being  afraid  of  the 
dreadful  faces  of  the  men,  and  of  the  dwarf,  who  wrote 
busily  on  his  knees,  with  swift  strokes  of  his  pen;  but  that 
something  held  her  riveted  to  her  place  in  the  room. 

"  There  are  not  above  five  hundred  Jews  in  this  city, 
I  tell  you,  and  at  a  daric  a  head " 

"  But  you  insist  that  the  heads  be  delivered  for  counting, 
my  Prexaspes.  Surely  it  is  worth  more  if  the  heads  be  de 
manded.  Consider,  I  pray  you,  the  difficulty  of  securing  the 

head  in  each  instance,  and  also " 

357 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  The  great  queen  will  hear  of  no  other  arrangement 
being  made,"  said  the  Persian  coldly.  "  The  heads  must  be 
counted  before  me  or  the  one  whom  I  shall  appoint,  in  this 
city,  and  not  later  than  sunset  of  the  fourteenth  of  Adar. 
But  hold!  I  have  not  told  you  all.  When  I  have  counted, 
if  I  find  the  full  tale  of  five  hundred —  Is  it  five  hundred, 
or  more,  Arbaces?  " 

"  Five  hundred  forty  and  three  is  the  number  of  Hebrews 
to  be  found  in  Bactra,"  croaked  the  dwarf.  "  This  also  in 
cludes  their  women,  who  are  many,  both  old  and  young, 
and  children  and  infants.  You  said  to  count  them  all." 

"  You  are  right,  Arbaces ;  not  even  an  infant  of  days 
shall  be  spared  to  wail  for  its  mother;  and  their  heads  will 
be  paid  for  at  the  specified  rate.  Five  hundred  forty  and 
three,  and  you  will  receive  in  addition,  at  the  time  of  the 
counting  on  the  evening  of  the  fourteenth  of  Adar — mind, 
I  say  in  addition  to  this  which  I  am  now  giving  you — 
a  further  sum  of  one  hundred  gold  darics !  " 

The  Berber  mumbled  something  in  his  beard,  wagging 
his  wicked  head  as  he  did  so. 

"By  Ahriman,  man!  is  not  that  a  royal  bounty?  The 
great  queen,  I  tell  you,  will  pay  it  in  gold — like  this — yel 
low,  solid  gold,  with  the  image  of  Darius — may  the  gods 
preserve  his  bones  from  decay — who  kept  the  Persian  king 
dom  intact  to  hand  down  to  his  son,  who  is  little  more  than 
a  fool.  Curse  him !  " 

"  Make  it  one  hundred  and  fifty  darics,  and  I  will  con 
sent  to  collect  the  heads,"  muttered  the  Berber.  "  Not  for 
a  daric  less  will  I  undertake  it." 

The  Persian  swore  with  a  great  oath  that  not  one  of  a 
hundred  and  twenty  and  seven  men,  in  a  like  number  of 
provinces,  had  so  robbed  his  queen.  But  he  nevertheless 
struck  his  hand  upon  the  table  so  that  the  darics  chinked  and 
rang,  as  he  said  that  he  would  even  accede  to  so  evil  an 
extortion. 

358 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


Whereupon  the  dwarf  wrote  busily  upon  his  parchment, 
and  the  Berber  began  to  gather  up  the  money  into  a  great 
pouch,  still  muttering  and  mouthing  in  his  tangled  beard. 
Then  little  by  little  the  two  men — whose  faces  and  the 
fashion  of  whose  dress  even  Esther  had  observed  minutely — 
began  to  grow  dim  and  shadowy.  Last  of  all  she  saw  the 
dwarf  squatted  cross-legged  and  writing  upon  the  square 
of  parchment  upon  his  knee. 

"  Five  hundred  forty  and  three,"  he  was  muttering,  "  in 
cluding  women  and  children." 

Then  his  ugly,  hunched  figure  also  grew  dim  and  far 
away,  and  the  roseate  mists  swallowed  it. 

When  Esther  opened  her  eyes  it  was  to  behold  Abihail, 
who  at  the  queen's  request  had  been  restored  to  her  position 
as  chief  tire-woman. 

"  May  it  please  the  Queen's  Majesty,"  said  the  woman, 
a  smile  irradiating  her  round,  wrinkled  face,  "  to  arise  and 
be  tired  for  the  evening  meal?  It  would  never  do  to  keep 
the  great  king,  who  rules  the  earth,  waiting  for  his  food. 
Now  would  it,  my  lamb  ?  " 

The  excellent  Abihail  combined  a  sincere  respect  for 
royalty  with  a  homely  fondness  for  her  queenly  mistress 
which  pleased  Esther,  but  enraged  her  fellow  servants,  who 
could  not  understand  the  queen's  partiality  for  the  old 
Hebrew  woman. 

Esther  gazed  fixedly  at  the  kind  face  bent  toward  her. 
"  I  have  had  such  a  terrible  dream,"  she  said.  "  Nay,  it 
was  more  than  a  dream — it  was  a  vision.  God  grant  it  be 
a  shadow  of  the  past,  rather  than  a  mirror  of  the  future." 

"  Tell  it  to  me ;  then  it  will  pass  from  your  mind,"  ad 
vised  the  old  woman,  as  she  assisted  the  queen  to  arise. 
"  Dreams  are  like  the  mists  of  morning,"  she  added  briskly. 
"  The  wind  blows  on  them,  and  they  vanish  away." 

But  the  queen  answered  not.  At  the  evening  banquet 
of  state,  where  her  place  was  beside  that  of  Xerxes,  she 

359 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


spoke  little,  so  that  after  a  time  the  king  observed  it,  and 
demanded  the  cause  of  her  pallid  looks  and  heavy  eyes. 

"  It  grows  over  warm  in  Babylon,"  quoth  the  king,  "  and 
the  days  of  the  great  heat  are  not  far  away.  To-morrow, 
which  is  the  first  of  Adar,  we  shall  again  journey  toward 
Shushan.  There  the  cool  breezes  from  the  mountains  will 
revive  you." 

But  at  the  mention  of  the  month  Adar,  the  queen  grew 
yet  more  ghastly  pale. 

"  Tell  me,"  she  said  with  difficulty,  "  will  there  be  much 
of  bloodshed  and  tumult  in  the  cities  and  provinces  on  that 
day — the  thirteenth  of  Adar?  I — I  am  afraid  for  my 
people." 

"  Have  I  not  commanded  my  governors  and  my  rulers  to 
defend  the  Hebrews  in  every  city  and  province?  And  think 
you  that  these  will  dare  to  disobey  me?"  asked  the  king, 
grieved  by  the  sad  countenance  of  the  woman  he  loved. 
"  Nay,  my  Esther;  think  no  more  of  the  thirteenth  of  Adar, 
save  that  on  that  day  my  daughter  will  be  wedded  to  the 
Prince  of  Edom.  This  you  may  think  of  as  often  as  you 
will,  for  verily  I  believe  the  stars  will  unite  to  shed  luster 
on  their  nuptials." 

The  queen  smiled,  for  she  was  glad  of  the  good  fortune 
of  her  kinsman,  Nathan ;  and  glad  also  that  at  last  he  seemed 
happy  in  the  love  of  the  Princess  Amytis,  who  grew  more 
radiantly  lovely  with  every  passing  day  which  brought  her 
espousals  nearer. 

But  that  night,  as  she  lay  in  her  great  bedchamber  in 
Babylon,  she  again  dreamed  of  the  man  with  the  red  Median 
cap  pulled  low  upon  his  forehead,  and  of  the  ugly,  squatting 
dwarf  who  wrote  upon  his  knees.  Only  he  who  received 
the  gold,  which  the  man  named  Prexaspes  counted  out  to 
him,  was  of  a  different  fashion  of  countenance  and  dress  from 
the  Berber  she  had  seen  in  her  vision  of  the  afternoon ;  and 
the  tally  of  Hebrew  heads  demanded  was  also  different, 

360 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


being  forescore  and  eleven.  And  so  the  dwarf  wrote  it  upon 
his  parchment.  As  before,  the  queen  beheld  the  figure  of  the 
dwarf  last  of  all,  writing,  writing;  and  this  time  he  laughed, 
showing  long,  yellow  fangs  in  his  ugly  mouth.  This  the 
queen  saw  on  the  night  before  the  first  day  of  the  twelfth 
month,  which  is  Adar. 

And  on  that  day  the  court  again  journeyed  toward  Shu- 
shan,  and  during  the  days  and  nights  of  its  slow  progress 
the  queen  dreamed  no  dreams.  But  at  Shushan,  it  being  the 
sixth  of  Adar,  and  the  date  fixed  by  the  first  edict  being 
only  seven  days  off,  she  dreamed  of  the  Persian  and  his 
dwarfish  scribe.  But  this  time  the  dream  was  again  dif 
ferent,  in  that  the  Persian  said  to  the  man  who  sat  oppo 
site  counting  the  gold: 

"  All  is  now  finished.     Read,  Arbaces." 

And  Arbaces  read  from  the  sheaf  of  parchments  spread 
upon  his  knees  the  names  of  many  cities.  And  as  he  read, 
the  queen  saw  his  lips  moving,  but  heard  not  his  words; 
but  she  beheld  a  great  flock  of  vultures  fly  up  from  the  page 
— one  great  vulture  and  twelve  young  ones  for  each  city. 
And  the  room  became  filled  with  the  birds  of  ill  omen,  so 
that  the  noisy  beating  of  their  wings  drowned  the  voice  of 
the  dwarf.  And  they  crowded  about  the  queen,  almost  suffo 
cating  her  with  their  foul  plumage.  Then  the  figures  of  the 
two  men  became  confused,  and  presently  vanished  quite  away, 
leaving  the  dwarf  only,  who  continued  to  liberate  the 
loathly  birds  of  death  from  the  sheaf  of  parchments  on  his 
knee. 

The  queen  awoke  with  a  great  cry,  and  her  woman 
hurried  to  her,  thinking  her  time  was  come.  But  she  said 
to  them: 

"Go,  call  my  kinsman,  Matacas;  for  I  must  speak  to 
him." 

Matacas  came  presently,  and  the  queen  told  him  straight 
way  of  her  three  visions.  And  she  wrung  her  hands  as  she 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


said :  "  These  dreams  of  mine  portend  some  evil ;  and  of 
this  I  am  assured,  even  though  the  king  bids  me  think  noth 
ing  of  the  thirteenth  day,  which  is  now  close  at  hand." 

Mordecai,  the  wise  Hebrew,  spoke  not  at  first,  for  he  was 
thinking  of  a  day  when  he  had  seen  a  man  with  a  red 
Median  cap  drawn  low  on  his  forehead  coming  out  of  the 
house  of  Queen  Atossa.  The  old  queen  had  remained 
quietly  at  Shushan  all  through  the  long  months  of  the  court's 
absence.  Once  only  had  the  new  chief  counselor  seen  her, 
and  then  at  the  queen's  request.  She  had  sent  for  him, 
she  declared,  to  make  some  provision  for  the  disposition  of 
her  wealth.  "  For,"  said  the  aged  widow  of  Darius,  "  I 
am  now  near  to  death,  and  my  infirmities  increase  daily. 
Soon  my  intellect  will  totter  on  its  throne,  and  I  shall  be 
ready  to  lie  down  for  my  eternal  sleep.  But  first  I  would 
make  sure  that  the  three  princes,  sons  of  Xerxes,  receive  all 
that  I  have." 

She  had  talked  long  with  Matacas  that  day,  and  he  had 
gone  away  impressed  with  the  change  which  had  taken  place 
in  the  disposition  of  the  queen,  which  indeed  appeared  to  have 
grown  strangely  gentle  and  kind  in  these,  her  last  days. 

Yet  he  had  seen  such  a  man  as  Esther  described  coming 
out  from  the  palace  of  Atossa.  And  he  also  remembered, 
as  he  mused  upon  the  happening,  that  he  had  once  seen  the 
man  in  the  train  of  Haman,  the  dead  Amalekite.  But  his 
name  he  knew  not. 

To  Queen  Esther  he  said :  "  I  doubt  not  there  is  much 
mischief  intended  against  the  Jews  in  many  places;  and  this 
in  spite  of  the  king's  letter,  which  long  ere  this  has  been 
promulgated  in  every  city  and  province  of  the  kingdom. 
But  the  Jews  have  the  king's  leave  to  fight  for  their  defense; 
they  have  also  the  protection  of  all  governors,  rulers  of  cities, 
and  satraps.  In  Shushan,  both  in  the  palace  and  the  city, 
there  will  be  no  disturbance  whatever;  of  this  I  am  confi 
dent,  not  only  because  of  the  king's  expressed  wish  and 

362 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


because  of  my  presence,  but  also  because  on  that  day  the 
daughter  of  Xerxes  will  wed  a  Hebrew.  This  circumstance 
alone  will  insure  a  day  of  joy,  gladness,  and  feasting." 

But  Esther  besought  him  with  tears  to  warn  all  He 
brews  of  danger. 

"  Tell  them,"  she  implored,  "  to  keep  safe  within  their 
houses  on  that  day,  with  barred  doors  and  close-shuttered 
windows.  Bid  them  keep  the  children  from  the  streets,  and 
let  not  the  women  show  themselves  at  the  windows  nor 
on  the  roofs.  And  let  no  Hebrew  in  the  palace  or  in  the  city 
do  any  business  on  that  day,  from  the  rising  up  of  the  sun 
until  the  going  down  of  it.  Let  it  be  a  day  of  fasting  and 
prayer,  rather  than  a  day  of  feasting.  And  let  every  man 
have  his  weapon  in  his  hand." 

Mordecai  listened  to  the  queen  with  grave  attention. 
Her  excessive  anxiety,  he  thought,  was  natural.  But  he 
called  her  attention  to  the  fact  that  on  the  day  of  the  mar 
riage  of  two  such  notable  personages  as  the  Princess  Amytis 
and  the  Prince  of  Edom,  already  named  Satrap  of  Cyprus 
and  endowed  with  great  estates,  it  would  be  impossible  to 
enforce  a  day  of  fasting;  inasmuch  as  such  a  course  would 
be  deemed  a  marked  affront  to  the  king,  who  had  ordered 
otherwise,  and  to  Nathan,  the  future  husband  of  the  king's 
daughter  and  himself  a  Hebrew. 

"  You  are  overwrought,  my  Hadassah,"  he  said  sooth 
ingly)  "  by  the  long  strain  of  days  past,  which  at  the  time 
irked  you  not;  but  now  by  reason  of  memory  and  imagina 
tion  it  is  present  with  you,  pictured  forth  in  these  harmless 
shadows  of  the  night.  Be  calm,  I  entreat  you,  and  trust  all 
to  the  king's  goodness  and  my  prudence." 

He  was  astonished  and  even  displeased  when  the  young 
queen  continued  to  weep  and  entreat  him  to  warn  the  Jews 
far  and  near  of  impending  disaster. 

"  Even  yet  I  see  the  vultures,"  she  wailed,  "  and  hear 
the  clamor  of  their  wings.  And  the  man,  Prexaspes — nay, 
24  363 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


I  cannot   forget  the  evil  of  his  visage  as  he  counted   the 
gold." 

On  that  same  day,  at  evening,  was  born  the  fourth  son 
of  Xerxes.  And  the  young  queen,  his  mother,  as  she  lay, 
her  son  at  her  breast,  forgot  all  evil  dreams  and  portents 
in  the  joy  of  her  heart.  Without,  in  the  city,  she  could  hear 
the  sounds  of  rejoicing  and  of  music  and  the  shouts  of  the 
feasting  multitudes;  for  Xerxes  the  king  had  ordered  great 
largesse  of  food  and  money  given  to  the  people  in  honor 
of  the  birth  of  the  young  prince,  whom  he  at  once  named 
to  the  succession.  And  this  he  did  despite  the  advice  of 
Mordecai,  and  in  defiance  of  the  seven  hereditary  princes, 
who  by  this  act  of  the  king's  became  the  open  enemies  of  the 
new  dynasty  which  they  foresaw  upon  the  Achaemenian 
throne. 


XXXIX 


E 


LOWERY  Adar  had  decked  the  vast  plains 
of  Shushan  with  largesse  of  blossom  and  lush 
grasses.  On  the  banks  of  the  river  and  by 
the  marge  of  every  smallest  rivulet,  fresh 
young  leaves  trembled  in  the  spring  winds. 
Birds  were  nesting  in  the  thickets,  and  flit 
ting  beneath  the  blue  sky  softly  dappled  with  white  clouds, 
like  huddled  flocks  of  tender  lambs.  At  evening  of  the 
twelfth  day  the  first  rose  unfolded  in  the  garden  of  the  king's 
palace,  and  above  it,  hid  in  the  tumultuous  blossoms  of  a 
purple  rhododendron,  the  earliest  nightingale  poured  forth 
the  joy  of  his  swift  homeward  flight  from  the  southland ; 
while  beside  him  his  mate  rested,  her  dusk  bosom  palpi 
tating,  mother-wise,  to  the  ecstasy  of  his  song. 

It  was  a  night  when  every  breeze  swelled  with  the  joy 
ous  murmurs  of  youth  and  love  and  the  cool  fragrance  of 
the  opening  year.  The  Princess  Amytis,  freshly  robed  in 
garments  of  white,  seemed  a  blithe  spirit  of  the  spring,  as 
she  fluttered,  light  as  the  breeze  itself,  adown  the  broad  grav- 

365 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


eled  path  to  meet  the  man  she  loved.  On  this,  the  last  night 
of  her  maiden  life,  she  was  happy  with  that  deeper  happiness 
which  depends  not  upon  outward  circumstance  but  wells  up 
within  the  soul,  a  tide  of  joy — the  joy  of  that  perfect  love 
which  brooks  not  fear  nor  any  foreboding  of  evil. 

The  dark  face  of  Nathan  brightened  as  he  saw  her  com 
ing  to  him  amid  the  young  leaves  and  the  freshly  fragrant 
flowers  of  early  spring.  During  the  weeks  and  months  that 
had  passed,  the  deep  wound  in  his  soul  had  healed  somewhat ; 
the  hurt  of  it  was  less  poignant,  more  easily  borne,  even 
during  those  hours  of  solitude  when  once  he  had  wished 
only  for  the  dreamless  sleep  that  knows  no  waking.  Some 
natures  love  deeply  but  once;  others  many  times.  Nathan, 
Prince  of  Edom,  could  never  again  pour  out  his  soul  in  the 
unconscious  poetry  which  ever  springs  unbidden  to  the  lips 
of  his  race;  yet  was  he  deeply  grateful  to  Amytis  for  the 
unstinted  treasure  she  offered  for  his  acceptance,  and  this 
gratitude  was  so  closely  akin  to  love,  so  exquisitely  tender 
in  its  expression,  that  the  maiden  was  satisfied,  scarce  think 
ing  of  the  sealed  fountains  of  his  being  which  her  tender 
fingers  had  not  strength  to  liberate. 

When  yet  she  was  a  little  way  off,  she  paused,  all  her 
adoring  soul  in  her  eyes.  And  the  prince,  in  the  dark  splen 
dor  of  his  young  manhood,  came  swiftly  to  meet  her,  drawn 
by  the  exquisite  timidity  of  the  young  maiden  who  was  not 
yet  a  wife,  but  whose  bridal  day  was  so  soon  to  dawn. 

Still  her  eyes  drew  him,  and  before  he  well  realized 
it  he  had  taken  her  in  his  arms,  and  for  the  first  time  his 
lips  met  hers.  Many  times  he  had  caressed  her  fingers  with 
the  light  touch  of  the  courtier;  and  once,  on  the  day  of 
their  betrothal,  he  had  set  a  single  kiss  upon  her  forehead, 
which  ever  since  she  had  felt  there  more  real  than  any  crown. 

"  My  Amytis!  "  he  murmured. 

She  smiled  divinely,  but  with  silent  lips,  as  if  his  kiss 
had  sealed  them  against  the  commoner  uses  of  speech. 

366 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


And  her  silence  charmed  him  more  than  speech,  in  that 
it  beguiled  him,  as  words  could  not,  into  further  expressions 
of  tenderness — this  new  tenderness  which  comforted  the 
hurts  of  his  youth,  while  it  promised  a  more  tranquil  hap 
piness  than  he  had  yet  known. 

"  To-morrow,  sweet  Princess,  at  this  hour  you  will  be 
mine,"  he  murmured,  and  again  his  lips  sought  hers. 

"  Ah,  you  do  love  me,  after  all,"  she  whispered,  hiding 
her  dazzled  face  against  his  breast. 

His  eyes  clouded  as  he  looked  down  at  the  golden  head 
resting  where  once  the  lovely,  dark  face  of  Esther  had  lain 
for  an  instant.  But  he  answered  steadily: 

"  I  do  love  you,  Amytis.  I  should  be  less  than  man 
if  I  could  hold  you  in  my  arms  unmoved.  And  to-mor 
row » 

He  stopped  short  as  he  remembered  why  he  had  refused 
to  celebrate  their  marriage  before  sunset  of  the  thirteenth 
of  Adar.  He  had  feared  that,  notwithstanding  the  second 
edict,  some  mischief  might  befall  Esther  on  that  day,  and  he 
had  resolved  to  spend  it  armed  before  the  door  of  her  pal 
ace,  ready  to  challenge  and  cut  down  any  intruder.  He 
smiled  faintly,  as  he  thought  how  unnecessary  was  any  weak 
defense  of  his  for  the  adored  queen  of  the  great  Xerxes,  the 
mother  of  the  future  king  of  Persia,  in  her  doubly  guarded 
palace. 

"  To-morrow,"  repeated  Amytis  timidly,  "  at  this  hour 
we  shall  have  departed  upon  our  long  journey.  No  one 
will  ever  separate  us  again  if  you  love  me.  Is  it  not  so  ?  " 

He  smiled  down  at  her,  while  the  nightingale's  thrill 
ing  song  filled  the  night  with  sweetness. 

"  Nay,  what  could  separate  us  after  we  are  once  wedded, 
my  Amytis?"  he  asked,  with  exceeding  gentleness.  After 
a  little  he  said  firmly,  "  Know  now  and  for  all  time  that  I 
shall  not  imitate  foreign  princes — nor  indeed  the  princes  of 
my  own  race — by  taking  other  wives.  You  are  the  one  and 

367 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


only  woman  I  shall  ever  wed.  Does  this  satisfy  you, 
sweet  ?  " 

"  I  think  it  would  break  my  heart  were  it  to  be  other 
wise,"  she  stammered.  "  Nay,  I  could  not  bear " 

"  Think  not  of  it  any  more,"  he  interrupted  her.  ".Even 
could  you  endure  the  thought  of  it,  I  could  not.  We  will 
set  an  example  of  perfect  wedded  love  and  happiness,  my 
Princess,  which  our  subjects  may  well  wish  to  emulate.  It 
shall  be  one  of  the  objects  of  our  reign  in  Cyprus  to  intro 
duce  and  encourage  those  higher  ideals  of  life  and  its  con 
duct  which  we  both  desire  for  ourselves." 

His  eyes  kindled,  and  he  held  the  daughter  of  the  great 
Xerxes  close,  as  his  thoughts  dwelt  with  a  noble  ambition 
he  had  supposed  forever  perished  on  the  future — their  future 
— in  the  far  country  over  which  he  would  be  in  effect 
king. 

They  two  could  do  much  for  their  time,  he  knew;  and 
a  tranquil  tide  of  happiness  flowed  in  upon  his  soul  in  a 
flood  of  good  and  peaceful  thoughts,  as  he  dreamily  pictured 
their  life  in  the  little  island  palace,  far  removed  from  the 
fevered  struggles  and  intrigues  of  the  royal  court. 

"  Let  us  talk,"  she  said  at  length,  "  of  to-morrow.  At 
dawn — or  before — when  the  earliest  birds  begin  to  twitter 
about  the  eaves  of  my  chamber,  I  shall  awake  and  think  of 
you." 

"  And  I,"  he  murmured,  with  a  smile,  "  shall  remember 
that  at  last  the  day  has  come." 

She  blushed  and  sighed  vaguely,  while  her  eyes  timidly 
sought  his. 

"  There  will  be  many  tedious  ceremonials,"  she  said, 
"  and  a  toilet — nay,  I  wish  I  might  not  waste  so  many  hours 
of  to-morrow  in  the  hands  of  my  tire-women." 

"  Why  not  please  yourself  to-morrow  of  all  days,  my 
bride  ?  "  he  asked,  his  strong  fingers  closing  upon  hers. 

"  Why  not,  indeed  ?  "  she  echoed,  with  a  flash  of  her  old 
368 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


petulance.  "  You  will  love  me  quite  as  much  if  I  have  not 
passed  long,  wearisome  hours  in  the  hands  of  the  many 
women  Hege  has  set  apart  for  the  service  of  the  royal 
wife-to-be." 

She  blushed  enchantingly  as  she  said  this,  and  Nathan 
gazed  at  her  with  unconcealed  admiration. 

"  You  are  already  so  beautiful  that  nothing  could  add 
to  your  charm,"  he  said,  with  an  air  of  honest  conviction 
which  caused  the  princess  a  thrill  of  keenest  happiness. 

She  laughed  aloud,  and  the  nightingale  who  had  paused 
in  his  song  to  dream  of  nest  building  on  the  morrow,  burst 
into  a  single  ecstatic  trill. 

"  Let  me  think  how  to  escape  them  all,"  she  murmured, 
one  finger  on  her  rosy  lips.  "  Could  you  meet  me  an  hour 
after  the  sun  rises?  I  will  say  to  my  women  that  I  must 
needs  supplicate  the  goddess  Armaiti  for  our  wedded  hap 
piness.  They  will  not  venture  to  interfere  betwixt  me  and 
the  goddess,  and  then  I  will  come,  clad  as  you  see  me  in 
a  simple  robe  .of  white,  and  we  two  will  spend  the  golden 
time  together  till  the  hour  has  struck  for  the  procession  and 
the  sacrifice.  Then  we  will  go  at  once  to  the  great  audi 
ence  chamber,  and " 

She  stopped  short  to  look  up  at  the  prince.  His  features 
were  stern  and  cold;  his  eyes  blazed  with  a  strange,  sol 
emn  light. 

"  What,"  she  faltered,  "  have  I — said  ?  Is  it  wrong, 
then,  for  me  to  wish  to  be  with  you — on  the  morrow  ?  " 

He  reassured  her  with  a  caress. 

"  Not  so,  my  Amytis;  it  is  most  right  and  loving  and 
true,  and  I  will  not  fail  you.  But  as  you  spoke  of  the 
morrow — I  know  not  why — my  wayward  thoughts  carried 
me  far  from  our  happiness,  so  soon  to  dawn  with  the 
morning  light;  and  I  saw  my  brethren,  but  lately  doomed 
to  death,  and  now  permitted  by  the  grace  of  the  king  to 
defend  themselves  against  their  enemies.  And  I  wished  that 

369 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


we  were  to  wed  on  another  day — nay,  that  we  were  already 
wed!" 

He  spoke  with  a  recurrence  of  the  passionate  melancholy 
which  she  had  hoped  was  forever  exorcised,  but  his  final 
words  reassured  her. 

"  I  would  not  have  put  off  our  bridal  so  long,"  she  said, 
with  a  sparkle  of  mischief  under  her  downcast  lids,  "  but 

yOU " 

"  I  know!  "  he  acknowledged.  "  I  did  not  at  first  wish 
to  marry  soon.  I  may  confess  this  to  you  now,  my  Princess, 
when  I  await  the  morrow  with  scant  patience.  And  you 
will  forgive  me,  will  you  not  ?  " 

"Forgive  you?"  she  echoed.  "Nay,  I  am  glad — too 
glad  to  harbor  any  regrets  for  the  past  or  fears  for  the 
future." 

And  so  the  supreme  hour  of  their  happiness,  which  had 
been  long  in  coming,  passed  amid  the  shadows  of  the  flowery 
garden.  And  after  a  little  the  moon  arose  to  pour  a  flood 
of  silver  light  upon  them,  and  the  nightingale  sang  ever 
more  sweetly  of  love,  and  the  wind  sighed,  as  if  loath  to 
hasten  the  charmed  moments  which  fled  past  into  the  soft 
dusk  of  the  night. 


XL 

ITH  the  earliest  twitter  of  half-awakened 
birds  the  great  privy  counselor,  Matacas — 
who  had  received  the  further  title  of  Prince 
of  Parthia  and  Hariva,  together  with  the 
grant  of  all  the  vast  estates  of  the  now 
extinct  family  of  Haman — arose,  and  as 
was  his  custom,  went  up  to  the  roof  of  his  palace  to  com 
mune  with  his  God,  in  the  cool  of  the  early  day. 

The  sky  was  flushed  with  rosy  light,  which  palpitated 
beneath  light  diaphanous  cloud  like  the  pure  flesh  of  a 
beautiful  maid  under  a  misty  garment  of  white.  Far  to 
the  east,  whence  the  ineffable  glory  emanated  as  from  a 
heart  of  fire,  the  mountains  stood  transfigured,  and  nearer 
at  hand  on  the  broad  plains — where  the  winding  course  of 
the  river  could  be  dimly  traced  by  the  lingering  mists  of  the 
vanished  darkness — a  myriad  of  new  flowers  unfolded  to 
the  growing  light;  and  above  all  moved  the  fresh,  the  sing 
ing  winds  of  the  morning. 

The  thirteenth  of  Adar  had  dawned  at  last. 
371 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


Mordecai,  the  Hebrew,  stood  still  and  gazed  at  the  sun 
rise,  as  he  had  stood  and  gazed  on  many  successive  mornings, 
his  face  toward  distant  Jerusalem,  his  lips  moving  in  the 
sonorous  words  of  the  Invocation  to  the  Light: 

Blessed  art  them,  O  Lord,  our  God,  King  of  the  universe! 

Who  Greatest  light  and  formest  darkness! 

In  mercy  thou  causest  the  light  to  shine  upon  the  earth 

and  the  inhabitants  thereof, 

And  in  goodness  renewest  every  day  the  work  of  creation! 
Blessed  art  thou,  Creator  of  Light! 

As  he  repeated  the  words,  a  flood  of  devout  gratitude 
welled  up  within  his  heart,  and  involuntarily  his  eyes,  which 
had  sought  the  radiant  zenith  of  the  heavens,  dropped  earth 
ward  to  the  city  which  lay  at  his  feet.  Yonder  were  the 
saved  homes  of  the  Jews,  his  brethren,  gathered  into  a  small 
area,  like  close  friends.  How  fearful  would  have  been  the 
dawning  of  this  day  had  not  Jehovah  intervened  to  save 
his  people! 

Then  a  spot  of  vivid  scarlet  drew  the  dreaming  eye  of 
the  scribe  to  the  great  stair  of  the  palace.  The  scarlet  was 
the  vesture  of  a  dwarfish  figure  which  toiled  along  at  the 
heels  of  a  man  who  wore  a  Median  cap  pulled  low  upon  his 
forehead. 

To  behold  a  man,  followed  thus  by  his  slave,  ascending 
the  staircase  which  led  up  to  the  palace,  was  in  no  wise  re 
markable.  Yet  the  wise  Mordecai  scrutinized  the  figures 
with  close  attention.  In  some  mysterious  fashion  they  linked 
themselves  with  an  uneasy  train  of  thought  in  that  deeper 
mind  which  thinks  uninterruptedly,  but  whose  conclusions 
and  warnings  are  not  always  heeded.  Desiring  to  know  the 
man  who  sought  the  palace  at  so  early  an  hour — though, 
indeed,  all  the  world  was  waking  now — Mordecai  presently 
wrapped  himself  in  a  dark  mantle,  and  hastening  down  from 

372 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


his  roof,  crossed  by  the  elevated  bridge  which  linked  his  own 
dwelling  with  that  of  the  king,  and  so  found  himself  on  the 
great  terrace  ere  the  two  figures  in  their  toilsome  ascent 
had  gained  the  level  of  the  platform. 

As  he  approached  the  man  with  the  dwarf  panting 
at  his  heels,  he  noticed  that  the  latter  bore  a  roll  of 
parchments,  and  carried  at  his  girdle  the  inkhorn  and 
a  sheaf  of  the  papyrus  pens  which  marked  the  Egyptian 
scribe. 

At  the  same  instant  the  man  halted,  and  addressed  the 
cloaked  figure  of  the  counselor. 

"  I  was  told  to  meet  a  trusted  servant  of  the  great  queen 
at  this  place  and  hour,"  he  said.  "Are  you  he?" 

Mordecai  bowed  his  head. 

"  I  am  ever  ready  to  serve  the  great  queen  in  word 
and  deed,"  he  responded.  "  Your  name  and  business  with 
me?" 

The  man  hesitated. 

"  Surely  you  need  not  ask,"  he  muttered,  "  if  you  are 
the  queen's  man." 

"  I  wish  merely  to  be  certain  that  I  speak  to  Prexaspes," 
said  Mordecai,  obeying  a  strange  impulse. 

The  man  laughed  harshly. 

"  Tell  me  the  name  of  my  dwarf,  also,  and  I  shall  be 
satisfied." 

"His  name,"  said  Mordecai  slowly,  "is  Arbaces;  and 
he  has  the  records  and  the  requisitions." 

"Yes,  it  is  well;  what  said  the  queen  as  to  the  hour? 
All  is  ready ;  but  the  hour  and  the  signal  I  am  to  learn  from 
you." 

"  For ?  " 

"  For  the  killing,"  quoth  the  man,  with  an  impatient 
oath.  "  I  have  the  heads  to  count  in  many  cities;  therefore 
let  it  be  finished  early.  I  must  have  the  queen's,  that  of  the 
prince,  and  the  two  pestilent  Jews,  Mordecai  and  Nathan, 

373 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


if  I  would  win  my  guerdon.  These  must  I  show  to  the 
queen.  For  the  others  she  will  take  my  word,  but  these 
she  must  look  upon  with  her  own  eyes." 

Mordecai  controlled  himself  with  a  terrible  effort. 

"  The  hour,"  he  said,  "  will  be  that  when  Mithra  stands 
overhead  in  midheaven.  The  queen  wills  it." 

"  What — not  till  noon  ?  I  had  planned  to  strike  off 
the  crowns  within  the  hour,  and  the  others  afterwards." 

"  Fool !  You  would  die  before  you  could  cross  the 
queen's  threshold.  All  will  be  lost  if  you  attend  not  to 
my  orders." 

"  I  am  listening,"  said  Prexaspes  sullenly. 

Mordecai  looked  sharply  about,  and  saw  at  a  little  dis 
tance  a  second  cloaked  man  approaching. 

"  You  are  to  follow  me — you  and  the  dwarf,"  he  said 
authoritatively.  "  I  have  written  instructions  for  you, 
which  you  must  follow  to  the  letter,  or  die  the  death." 

The  King's  Gate  was  close  at  hand,  and  the  three  men 
presently  entered  its  portals.  Within,  already  occupied  with 
the  day's  business,  sat  several  Hebrew  scribes.  Mordecai 
knew  them  all  as  trusted  servants  of  his  own.  He  beckoned 
to  one,  and  the  man  instantly  came  forward. 

"  Seize  and  hold  these  two  men,"  he  whispered,  "  till 
I  can  call  the  guard.  There  is  mischief  afoot." 

He  grappled  with  the  Amalekite  as  he  spoke,  and  the 
man  bursting  into  a  bellow  of  fear  and  rage,  drew  a  dagger 
with  a  sudden  quick  movement  and  lunged  wildly  at  the 
breast  of  the  scribe.  No  one  troubled  to  look  after  the 
dwarf  amidst  the  confusion  and  panic  which  followed, 
and  when  Prexaspes  had  finally  been  subdued  and  manacled, 
the  Egyptian  had  vanished. 

"  He  has  slipped  away — my  little  weazel !  "  raved  the 
captive,  glaring  at  the  man  who  had  tricked  him.  "  And 
you — Hah!  I  know  you  now!  Matacas,  the  Jew!  " 

He  struggled  violently  with  his  bonds. 
374 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"I  could  kill  you  with  my  hands!"  he  cried,  as  they 
bore  him  away. 

But  Mordecai  was  too  intent  upon  the  terrible  crisis 
which  was  upon  him,  to  pay  further  heed  to  Atossa's  mur 
derous  tool.  He  knew  now  with  a  dreadful  certainty  that 
Esther's  vision  had  been  granted  her  in  mercy,  and  that  fool 
ishly  elate  and  content  with  his  own  unprecedented  good 
fortune,  he  had  quite  failed  in  comprehending  this.  But 
there  was  still  time.  He  might  yet  prevent  the  worst. 

Within  the  hour,  a  double  guard  had  been  posted  about 
the  queen's  palace,  and  the  Hebrews  in  the  palace  and  the 
town  put  under  arms.  Still  there  was  no  sign  of  any  trou 
ble;  no  token  that  anything  save  the  great  festival  of  the 
royal  bridal  was  to  take  place.  And  Mordecai  hesitated  to 
inform  the  king. 

Already  the  palace  swarmed  with  men  bearing  green 
boughs  and  huge  baskets  of  flowers.  The  procession  and 
the  sacrifice  were  not  to  take  place  till  evening,  but  the 
preparations  for  the  marriage  were  going  forward  with  gay 
enthusiasm.  Rich  carpets  wrere  being  spread  upon  marble 
terraces  everywhere,  and  fresh  draperies  of  the  royal  violet 
and  white  hung  from  silver  rings  with  cords  of  twisted 
gold,  transformed  the  somewhat  cold  and  severe  exterior 
of  the  Hall  of  Columns  into  the  semblance  of  gala.  Here, 
also,  were  banks  of  roses ;  and  the  great  square  pillars 
were  wreathed  from  capital  to  base  with  flowery  garlands, 
so  that  the  heads  of  the  carven  bulls  looked  forth  from  a 
thicket  of  fresh  leaves  and  blossoms.  Everywhere  was 
laughter  and  the  sound  of  cheerful  voices,  and  the  clatter  of 
utensils  also  from  the  underground  kitchens,  whence  issued 
the  odors  of  roasting  and  boiling,  presaging  the  great  ban 
quet  which  was  to  be  held  in  honor  of  the  newly  wedded 
pair. 

After  an  hour  spent  in  such  precautions,  and  in  the  tak 
ing  of  such  hasty  measures  as  suggested  themselves  to  him, 

375 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


Mordecai  resolved  to  visit  the  man  called  Prexaspes.  The 
captive  had  been  manacled  to  a  pillar  in  one  of  the  guard 
rooms  to  the  left  of  the  King's  Gate,  and  two  soldiers  of  the 
king's  guard  set  to  watch  him.  But  when  Mordecai  entered 
the  place  he  found  it  ominously  empty.  Both  the  prisoner 
and  the  guard  had  disappeared. 

This  could  signify  nothing  less  terrifying  than  the  dis 
affection  of  the  guard  itself.  Mordecai  stood  still,  his 
mind  striving  to  grapple  with  the  scant  factors  of  the 
problem.  Which  of  two  guilty  queens  was  concerned  in 
the  plot?  If  Amestris,  he  hoped  that  she  might  already 
be  alarmed  into  abandoning  it  by  the  news  of  its  discovery. 
But  Atossa! 

He  resolved  to  visit  the  old  queen  in  person.  And  heed 
less  of  any  possible  danger  to  himself  he  went  alone  and 
on  foot  to  the  palace,  which  among  all  the  others  showed 
no  token  of  festal  preparation. 

Atossa  received  the  Hebrew  statesman  with  an  air  of 
suppressed  excitement  which  he  was  not  slow  to  interpret. 

"  I  came,"  he  said  directly,  "  to  ask  you  if  you  have  seen 
the  dwarf?" 

"The  dwarf?"  she  repeated,  mincing  her  words,  as  she 
flashed  a  malevolent  glance  at  her  questioner.  "  What 
dwarf?" 

"  The  servant  of  Prexaspes,  who  has  just  succeeded  in 
escaping  from  me." 

"  Ah !  he  has  escaped,  then  ?  " 

"You  have  not  seen  him  since?" 

The  old  queen  was  silent.  But  Mordecai  perceived  that 
she  trembled  violently,  while  her  eyes  wandered  toward  the 
open  windows.  She  appeared  to  be  listening  intently  for 
some  expected  sound. 

"  Tell  me,"  he  said  sternly,  "  what  vile  thing  are  you 
plotting?  Already  I  know  something  of  it;  and  I  swear  to 
you  that  I  will  cause  you  to  be  strangled  within  the  hour 

376 


THE    STAR   OF   LOVE 


if  you  do  not  at  once  take  measures  to  stop  the  proceedings 
against " 

"  Hist !  "  cried  Atossa.  Her  head,  with  its  slightly  flat 
tened  forehead,  appeared  to  vibrate  like  the  crest  of  a  ven 
omous  serpent  in  the  instant  before  it  strikes  its  poisoned 
fangs  deep  in  the  inert  body  of  its  chosen  victim.  There 
was  a  sound  without,  soft  at  first,  but  swelling  into  a  deep- 
toned  brazen  clamor,-  which  rose  above  the  cheerful  voices 
of  the  young  workmen  who  were  hanging  rose  garlands  on 
the  walls  of  the  bride's  palace. 

Mordecai  smote  his  hands  together  with  an  involuntary 
groan.  It  was  the  great  bronze  disk  of  the  shield  of  Ar- 
maiti  which  hung  in  the  temple,  and  which  the  priests  struck 
only  when  death  visited  the  royal  family.  He  had  heard 
it  on  the  midnight  when  Darius  died,  and  once  since  on  a 
day  when  an  infant  prince  passed  into  the  great  silence. 

Atossa  had  risen  to  her  feet.  Her  ghastly  face  glowed 
with  the  light  of  hard-won  triumph. 

"Go!"  she  cried,  "and  drink  the  cup  of  woe  which 
awaits  you!  The  gods  who  have  not  ceased  to  watch  over 
the  Persian  Empire  have  poured  it  for  your  blasphemous 
lips.  You  cannot  escape !  " 

Mordecai  rushed  out  to  the  great  terrace,  which,  on 
a  sudden,  resounded  with  cries  and  curses  and  the  sound  of 
blows. 


XLI 


SEES? 


O 


N  the  morning  of  that  day  Esther,  the  queen, 
lay  in  her  great  bed  of  state.    She  had  slept 
little   during   the   night,    and    at    daybreak 
she  awoke   from   a  troubled   sleep   to  find 
Abihail  standing  over  her,  an  anxious  look 
on  her  round,  wrinkled  face. 
"  Ah,  you  are  at  last  awake,  dear  queen  and  mistress," 
murmured  the  old  woman.     "  Half  the  night  I  have  been 
watching  you,  and  in  your  sleep  you  spoke  twice,  calling  me 
loudly  by  name.     But  when  I  answered,  you  again  slept." 

"  Bring  me  my  child,"  said  the  young  queen,  raising  her 
self  on  her  pillows.  "  I  wish  to  hold  him  close  in  my  arms." 
They  brought  the  prince,  rosily  asleep,  and  laid  him  in 
the  arms  of  the  queen,  and  she  held  him  against  her  young 
breast,  adoring  him  and  like  any  humble  mother  caressing 
him  with  her  lips,  while  she  murmured  sweet  and  foolish 
words  above  his  downy  head.  And  when  presently  his  nurse, 
a  dark,  smooth-voiced  Greek,  came  to  take  him  away,  the 
queen  refused. 

378 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


"  To-day,"  she  said,  "  I  will  myself  care  for  my  son. 
Not  to  any  other  will  I  surrender  him  till  the  going  down 
of  the  sun." 

And  so  it  was  that  when  that  great  brazen  clamor  broke 
out  from  the  shrine  of  Armaiti,  the  queen  still  held  her  babe 
close  cradled  in  her  arms. 

On  the  instant,  by  some  strange  chance,  it  appeared,  all 
the  attendants  and  slaves  disappeared  from  her  chamber, 
leaving  only  the  child's  nurse  and  Hatach,  the  queen's 
eunuch.  Abihail  also  remained,  for  at  the  moment  she  was 
putting  on  the  queen's  robe,  and  the  three  assisted  her  to 
the  chair  where  she  had  chosen  to  sit. 

Again  the  Greek  offered  to  take  the  child,  and  again  the 
queen  refused. 

"  I  must  hold  him,"  she  said,  "  in  these  arms  during  all 
the  hours  of  this  day.  No  other  must  so  much  as  touch 
him." 

The  Greek  cast  a  barely  perceptible  glance  at  Hatach, 
the  eunuch. 

"  Be  it  so,"  he  murmured,  and  he  fetched  a  great  breath, 
as  though  he  carried  in  secret  a  heavy  load. 

By  this  the  brazen  clamor  of  the  shield  had  quite  died 
away  along  the  corridors  and  terraces.  Yet  the  queen  had 
asked  no  question.  Once  more  the  Greek  woman,  whose 
eyes  had  begun  to  dart  fires  of  impatience,  approached  the 
queen. 

"  Give  me  the  child,"  she  said  rudely.  "  I  must  do  for 
him  what  you  cannot  do  in  your  present  weakness." 

Esther  gazed  intently  at  the  woman. 

"  You  can  do  nothing  for  my  child  that  I  cannot  do," 
she  made  answer.  "And  you  mistake;  I  am  not  weak,  but 
strong." 

The  queen  rose  to  her  majestic  height  as  she  spoke  these 
words   and  stood   before  them,   shielding  the  tiny  form  of 
the  prince  with  her  two  white  arms. 
25  379 


THE    STAR    OF   LOVE 


"  Go,"  she  said  to  Abihail,  with  exceeding  gentleness, 
"  and  make  for  me  in  the  kitchen  below  one  of  those  sweet 
possets,  such  as  I  used  to  drink  when  I  was  a  child.  Go, 
good  Abihail,  by  the  inner  stairway." 

And  when  the  old  Hebrew  woman  had  departed  with 
joyful  haste,  Esther  fixed  her  clear  eyes  upon  the  man,  who 
edged  ever  closer,  with  a  frightened  yet  dogged  look,  and  at 
the  Greek  woman,  who  watched  them  both  with  a  murder 
ous  look  of  scorn. 

"  Why  do  you  not  make  haste  to  do  your  work?  "  hissed 
the  Greek.  "  I  am  waiting  to  do  mine." 

And  she  made  a  quick  motion,  as  though  she  would 
snatch  the  child  from  the  arms  of  his  mother. 

Hatach  raised  his  miserable  shamed  eyes  to  the  beautiful 
face  of  the  queen,  who  returned  the  look  with  one  of  full 
understanding. 

"Why  do  you  wish  to  hurt  me?"  she  asked  quietly, 
"  who  have  ever  treated  you  with  kindness  ?  Do  you  not 
know  that  I  am  under  the  protection  of  Elohim,  whose  in 
visible  shield  is  interposed  between  me  and  that  dagger  you 
carry  concealed  in  your  bosom?  " 

At  this  the  man  cried  aloud,  and  covered  his  eyes  from 
the  white  light  of  love  and  purity  which  appeared  to  stream 
forth  from  the  queen's  majestic  figure,  and  to  envelop  it  in 
blinding  splendor. 

"  Fool  and  coward !  "  hissed  the  Greek.  "  You  have 
been  paid  to  do  your  work,  and  you  are  afraid !  But  I  will 
do  it,  and  kill  you  beside!  " 

She  sprang  at  the  queen  like  a  fury  incarnate,  her  full 
lips  drawn  back  in  a  beastlike  snarl. 

But  Hatach,  as  if  suddenly  galvanized  into  the  likeness 
of  a  man,  seized  her  by  the  hair  and  dragged  her  backward, 
shrieking  and  cursing.  A  single  plunge  of  the  eunuch's  dag 
ger  silenced  the  woman.  He  drew  forth  the  crimson  blade 
and  cast  it  at  the  feet  of  the  queen. 

380 


IT    WAS    A    DAY    OF    DREADFUL    DOOM    IN    THE    CITY    AND    THE    PALACE. 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


"  Take  it,"  he  moaned,  "  and  kill  me,  if  you  will !  But 
I  cannot.  Hark!  They  will  kill  you  yet!  They  are  com 
ing  to  see  if  I  have  done  my  horrid  work!  Quick,  hide 
yourself  behind  the  curtains  of  the  bed!  And  I " 

He  snatched  the  queen's  purple  mantle  from  her  shoul 
ders,  and  hastily  covered  the  body  of  the  dead  Greek. 

There  was  a  sound  of  splintering  wood,  the  crash  of  a 
fallen  door,  and  the  sharp  ring  of  sword  on  sword  in  token 
of  the  frightful  combat  going  on  in  the  queen's  antechamber. 

"  Quick!  "  panted  the  eunuch. 

But  Esther  stood  still,  her  sleeping  child  in  her  arms.  In 
that  supreme  moment  of  peril  her  heart  lifted  itself  once 
more  to  the  King  of  kings,  and  she  seemed  to  behold  the 
extended  scepter  of  his  mercy  in  the  single  ray  of  golden 
light  which  reached  down  to  her  out  of  the  heavens,  pene 
trating  a  veiled  opening  in  the  ceiling  of  her  chamber. 

"  Thou  art  my  shield,  O  Lord,"  she  murmured,  "  and 
my  exceeding  strong  defense!  " 

Then  the  curtains  were  dashed  aside  with  a  strong  arm 
and  Xerxes,  the  king,  dripping  sword  in  hand,  sprang  into 
the  room. 

"  God!  "  he  cried,  "  I  am  in  time!  " 

He  dropped  to  his  knees,  as  if  in  adoration  of  the  crowned 
and  regnant  motherhood  of  the  race,  while  the  soldiers  of  his 
guard,  who  crowded  at  his  side,  drew  back  with  awe. 

It  was  a  day  of  dreadful  doom  in  the  city  and  the  palace, 
wherein  death  and  revenge  stalked  forth  unhindered  to  reap 
a  red  harvest.  Long  before  evening  all  was  over,  and  at 
sunset  there  was  the  sound  of  wailing  in  Shushan.  Among 
the  heaps  of  slain  which  lay  in  front  of  the  queen's  palace 
they  found  the  bodies  of  Nathan  and  Amytis,  who  were  to 
have  been  wed  on  that  day.  They  were  together,  as  they 
had  planned,  in  the  quiet  recesses  of  the  royal  garden  when 
that  awful  signal  of  death  first  broke  upon  the  shuddering 


THE    STAR    OF    LOVE 


air,  and  here  Dinora,  the  Hebrew  slave  whom  the  Prince  of 
Edom  had  rescued  from  the  wrath  of  Hege,  and  who  since 
had  remained  in  the  service  of  Amytis,  came  in  tremulous 
haste  to  tell  them  of  the  awful  thing  that  was  happening. 

"The  queen!  the  queen!  "  she  gasped.  "  They  will  kill 
the  queen !  " 

And  so  it  was  that  Nathan  fulfilled  his  vow  to  the  Star 
of  Love  which  he  had  made  in  the  presence  of  Mordecai 
so  long  ago.  For  he  rushed  out  on  the  instant,  calling  loudly 
for  the  king  to  follow;  and  in  the  moment  of  victory  he  had 
fallen  on  the  threshold  of  the  queen's  palace.  He  did  not 
know  in  that  mad  rush  to  victory  and  death  that  the  daugh 
ter  of  Xerxes  had  followed  him  quite  to  the  verge  of  life — 
and  past  it.  But  who  shall  say  that  life  and  love  are  in- 
dissolubly  linked  with  the  body?  Nay,  rather,  "There  is 
no  death ;  what  seems  so  is  transition." 

They  had  fared  forth  upon  their  long,  long  journey  to 
gether,  and  no  one  asked  that  in  their  calm  slumber  they 
should  be  separated.  At  sunset,  on  the  thirteenth  day  of 
the  twelfth  month,  which  is  called  Adar,  they  bore  the  royal 
lovers  in  solemn  procession  to  the  new  tomb  of  Xerxes, 
which  had  been  hewn  out  in  the  face  of  the  Double  Moun 
tain.  And  there  they  left  them,  while  the  sacred  fire  burned 
in  the  soft  dusk  of  the  spring  night,  and  the  sound  of  solemn 
chanting  was  borne  far  on  the  wings  of  the  mourning  wind 
to  die  in  soft  cadences  beneath  the  stars. 

(i) 

THE   END 


/ 


HE    FELL    FORWARD    UPON    THE    COUCH    OF    THE    QUEEN    AND     BEGGED    HIS    LIFE    AT 

HER    HANDS." 


A  STORY  OF  AMERICAN  LIFE. 

David  Harum. 

Illustrated  Edition.  With  70  full-page  and 
text  pictures  by  B.  West  Clinedinst,  and  other 
text  designs  by  C.  D.  Farrand,  and  a  biography 
of  the  author  by  Forbes  Heermans.  1 2mo. 
$1.50. 

"What  seems  to  us  to  be  the  final  judgment  of  'David  Harum'  is 
given  in  the  North  American  Review  by  no  less  a  personage  than  John 
Oliver  Hobbes.  This  review  strikes  at  the  root  of  the  matter. 

'' '  It  would  not  be  presumptuous  to  say,'  opines  Mrs.  Craigie,  '  well 
remembering  the  magnificent  ability  of  certain  English  authors  of  the 
present  day,  that  not  one  could  create  a  character  which  would  win  the 
whole  English  population  as  David  Harum  has  won  the  American 
public.  The  reason  is  plain.  With  so  many  class  distinctions,  a  na 
tional  figure  is  out  of  the  question.  A  national  hero — yes;  but  a  man 
for  "  winterin'  and  summerin'  with" — no.  Social  equality  and  inde 
pendence  of  thought,  in  spite  of  all  abortive  attempts  to  introduce  the 
manners  and  traditions  of  feudal  Europe,  are  in  the  very  air  of  the 
United  States.  One  could  not  find  an  American  man  or  woman  of  the 
true  stock  who  had  not  known  intimately,  or  who  did  not  count  among 
his  or  her  ancestors,  connections,  relatives,  a  David  Harum.  The  type, 
no  doubt,  is  getting  old  :  becoming  more  and  more  "removed "  from  the 
younger  generation.  In  the  course  of  the  next  twenty  years  it  may 
become  so  changed  as  to  seem  extinct,  but  it  is  a  national  figure — cer 
tainly  the  most  original,  probably  the  purest  in  blood.  And  the  spirit 
of  Harum  is  the  undying  spirit — no  matter  how  much  modified  it  may 
eventually  become  by  refinement,  travel,  and  foreign  influence — of  the 
American  people.  Individuals  may  change,  but  the  point  of  view 
remains  unalterable. ' " — New  York  Mail  and  Express. 

"  '  David  Harum  '  is  one  of  those  extremely  rare  and  perfectly  fresh 
creations  in  current  fiction  which  really  enrich  our  literature.  In  brief, 
it  is  a  masterpiece,  and  one  that  deserves  an  immense  popularity.  No 
words  can  adequately  describe  its  wholesome,  sparkling  humor,  its  quaint 
and  endearing  originality,  its  genuine  Yankee  wit  and  native  shrewdness. 
A  well-nigh  perfect  work  it  is — a  creation  which  will  take  a  permanent 
place  among  American  literary  portraits. " — Literary  Review. 

D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY,    NEW    YORK. 


BOOKS  BY  DAVID  GRAHAM  PHILLIPS 


The  Fashionable  Adventures  of  Joshua  Craig 

The  story  of  a  strong,  virile  personality,  set  among  the  frothy  super 
ficialities  of  society  life  in  Washington.  Joshua  Craig  is  a  young  lawyer  who 
is  striving  to  make  a  name  for  himself  in  national  politics.  He  is  big,  rough, 
and  crude,  repelling  and  yet  compelling.  He  fights  quite  as  hard  to  gain  the 
love  of  a  lady  as  he  does  to  attain  his  coveted  political  goal. 

Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Wenzell.     J2mo,  cloth,  $1.50 

Old  Wives  for  New 

A  daring  title.  The  story  is  just  as  daring,  but  nevertheless  it  rings  true. 
It  is  a  frank  and  faithful  picture  of  married  life  as  it  exists  to-day  among  cer 
tain  classes  in  this  country.  It  is  the  story  of  a  young  couple  who  loved  as 
others  do,  but  whose  love  turns  to  indifference,  and  Mr.  Phillips  shows  us  why 
their  married  life  was  a  failure. 

izmo,  cloth,  $1.50 

The  Second  Generation 

It  is  a  double-decked  romance,  telling  the  love  stories  of  a  young  man 
and  his  sister,  both  reared  in  great  extravagance  and  suddenly  left  without 
means  by  their  father,  who,  being  a  self-made  man  has  come  to  feel  that  his 
wealth  has  been  a  curse  to  his  children,  and  would  prove  their  ruination  if  left 
to  them.  The  young  man  and  the  young  woman  find  life  very  hard  sledding 
for  a  time,  but  gain  strength  and  courage  and  make  a  good  fight  for  love, 
happiness,  and  life. 

Illustrated,  izmo,  ornamental  cover  in  colors  inlaid,  $1.50 

Light-Fingered  Gentry 

In  this  story  Mr.  Phillips  has  chosen  the  inside  workings  of  the  great 
insurance  companies  as  his  field  of  battle  ;  the  salons  of  the  great  Fifth  Avenue 
mansions  as  the  antechambers  of  his  field  of  intrigue ;  and  the  two  things 
which  every  natural  big  man  desires,  love  and  success,  as  the  goal  of  his  lead 
ing  character. 

Illustrated,  ornamental  cloth,  $1.50 

The  Worth  of  a  Woman— A  Play 

"It  is  a  remarkable  piece  of  work,  showing  keen,  logical  thought,  a 
daring  rush  to  conclusions,  a  bold  and  sportsmanlike  grip  of  an  ugly  problem. 
I  admire  the  pluck  of  this  author. " — Alan  Dale  in  the  N.  Y,  American. 

izmo,  cloth,  $1.25  net 
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